Velvet Persuasion
by Ziven
Summary: In almost every HP fanfic, Blaise Zabini is depicted as a House Whore. What's the reason behind it all? In this story, we go into the deeper history of Blaise Zabini's handiwork. [Slash. BlaiseXVar., BlaiseXDr, BlaiseXHP]
1. Chapter 1

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter One:**

The look on Blaise Zabini's face was smug as he made his way to Potions. He got the usual looks; some from those who were disgusted by him, some those who were on 'friendly' terms with him, and some from those who wished to be the object of his affections.

However, on the other hand, here were many more too embarrassed by what they had done to even look at him. He liked teasing _them_ best.

His newest victim was Harry Potter.

However, Harry had, instead of blushing at Blaise's expression like the others, held his composure, knowing that the Slytherin's actions lacked true meaning. Blaise smiled wicked in response to Harry's nonchalant attitude. Harry Potter, apparently, had a habit of making himself a challenge in some way or another to all who knew him; Blaise was no exception.

Surprisingly (at least to Blaise), Harry had been the modest, considerate and romantic and loving type whom Blaise usually stayed with for a while before moving on. It had surprised Blaise even more, however, that Harry had not tried to change the Slytherin as a person; the Boy Who Lived was actually agreeing to sleep with someone with no strings attached.

Considering that he had purposefully modified his traveling path to Potions so that he caught Harry, Blaise did give Harry credit on not looking the Slytherin's way once. But he mentally laughed at the sight of Harry distracting himself by speaking to Ron.

He vaguely wondered if Harry would want to see him that night.

(Scene shift)

"Children," Professor Snape snarled. "This is a mandatory project. Anyone who does not complete it had the alternative of Detention for the next two months."

The Potions Master paced around the room; casting a glare at any Gryffindors he came across. "It is a research project, and considering that I am assigning partner for this, I expect it to be thirty-six inches long on the potion of your choice."

There were groans all around the room. Blaise was weighing his options: a long, thirty-six inch paper, or two months Detention with Snape, during which they would have the hot, rough sex that Blaise always had with Snape.

_But he'd probably just tell me I could make it up, so I'd still end up doing the damn thing anyway. And since there'd be no partner the second time, so I'd end up doing it all…_

So, it was between a project and hot sex with Snape, or a project and hot sex with someone whom Snape chose. He was leaning towards the latter; after Harry, he didn't quite feel like having Snape.

"…must all have a Gryffindor partner," Snape was saying, "as the Gryffindors must all have Slytherin partners."

There were more groans around the room, and Draco, who was next to Blaise, swore loudly.

Snape sent Draco a glare, but nothing more, and he continued. "And those of you who debate with me about whatever partner you receive will have half of your earned grade deducted from your paper, and what I see as the point equivalent from your House Points. Any questions?" Of course, Snape didn't wait for an answer. "Thanks to your Headmaster," he spat, "you have two and a half weeks to do this, though it should not take you half as long. Unfortunately, Madam Pince in the library, Madam Pomfrey in the Infirmary, and I will be available to help you. Now keep quiet so that I can pair you off."

Blaise listened for no one's names seldom his and Harry's, though it was made obvious by some people in both Houses that they wanted to be paired with him.

Snape smiled gently as he called Blaise's name…and frowned as he paired the Slytherin off with Hermione Granger.

Blaise swore under his breath. Out of all of the multitudes of Gryffindors in the room whom he had slept with, Snape had to match him with the one person with whom he absolutely would not.

Hermione? The Mudblood?

The first show of any emotion towards him that morning, however, came from Harry at that moment. Harry had only glanced at him, but the Slytherin could still catch the crestfallen look in his eyes before the brunette looked away.

Harry had been paired with Pansy Parkinson. She glared at Harry, but stopped when she caught Blaise glaring at her.

Snape, with a sly smile towards Blaise, directed them to sit with their partners and discuss the outline of their paper _quietly_.

Draco grudgingly left his seat; he had been paired with Seamus Finnigan. He was lucky, in Blaise's opinion. Seamus was wonderful in bed. Very gentle.

"Damn him," Blaise muttered, looking at Snape. "All the gods damn him."

The old man knew what he was doing. He had purposefully paired him with someone he would not sleep with. In hopes of what, though? That Blaise would run to him? Two could play that game.

Blaise leaned on his desk, his right arm supporting his head, and cast a tentative smile and an arched eyebrow towards Snape, who had moved to sit behind his desk.

Though the Potions Master did not physically smile, there was twinkle in the man's eyes that confirmed Blaise's suspicions. Blaise changed his look to playful, running his hand through his hair and winking subtly. Severus, of course, was not a flirtatious type of person, and instead showed him the semblance of a smile, which told Blaise that Severus would be up late that night…just in case Blaise felt like traveling through the dungeons. All things considered, Blaise really wanted to see—

"So," came a cheery voice from beside Blaise, and he turned. Hermione Granger was sitting next to him. He sent a small glare at Snape before giving her any attention.

"What Potion did you want to work on?" she asked, straight to the point.

Blaise rolled his eyes lazily. "Whatever you want is fine with me. Just don't get in my way."

She huffed. "Well, I'm working on Polyjuice Potion, since you decided not to care. It—"

"That's in the restricted section of the library," Blaise said.

"How do _you_ know that?" Hermione asked accusingly.

"Saw the spine from one of the shelves a few years ago. Got the book at my aunt's house."

_Yeah, you saw it a few weeks ago,_ he chided himself,_ while you were in the library with Oliver Wood. Wonder how he's getting along now…_

At the look Hermione gave him, he added, "Auntie works at the Ministry. Diagnoses those under the influence of potions. She could help us, you know."

"Hm." Hermione seemed to look him over, deciding whether he was lying or not. Apparently he was deemed a truth teller, because she continued without further delay, "You could write about that! Your aunt's job and how it's linked to those who use potions for unauthorized purposes, for the wrong situation and even by accident! This is perfect!" She began taking notes on her own words, which annoyed Blaise. "And since Snape's given me permission to get a book from the Restricted Section—" she reached into a pocket of her robes and pulled out a note, which Blaise presumed was signed. "—I needed the book for an extra credit assignment, but we can use it for this, too. Now can you get eighteen inches from your half of information?"

Blaise shrugged lazily. "Probably."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, so meet me in the library at two with one-fourth of your half done. That's four and a half inches.

"I know that," Blaise snapped. "Besides, I can't go Saturday. Sunday, I can make it." Saturday was usually a busy day for Blaise, and he would not sacrifice any part of it without a fight.

"Why not tomorrow?"

"Because unlike you, I have a life to attend to."

"Only if having a life means sleeping around," Hermione muttered.

Oh, so she _did_ know about him. Blaise had begun to worry that his reputation hadn't gone around as much as he had.

"You can wait on Saturday," Blaise said, not answering her comment, "but I will not arrive until Sunday, Granger." Blaise was used to getting what he wanted, one way or another, and he wasn't going to begin backing down now.

Hermione turned from him in frustration, taking out a book and a piece of parchment labeled as an essay for _Theory of Magic_. She sent Blaise a reproachful look before beginning to write.

Blaise caught Snape's eye again, pouting and shaking his head slightly, letting the elder know he wasn't coming over that night. Snape glared at Hermione icily and barked, "Granger! Is that for my class?"

Hermione jumped, looking around, and she cringed, replying, "N-no but—"

"Put it away, now! Fifteen points from Gryffindor!" Blaise was laughing on the inside. He'd had no idea that Snape would be that angry

_Perhaps Granger_ will

* * *

A/N: My first comment is for you to not judge this story based on writing style alone. This story, honestly, is not that good, but I am posting it because at the time it was a good plot idea. I wrote this originally a few years ago to answer the question: why is Blaise such a slut in Harry Potter fanfiction? Why would so many people sleep with him in the first place? This story was also written before the sixth book had been released, so at the time it was unknown whether or not Blaise had been a boy or a girl, so the descriptions of how Blaise looks are very vague. I had been out of writing practice then, and I wrote this to get out the writer's block. Please don't hold me accountable personally, unless it's for being too lazy to go back and clean this up. I mean, I am cleaning it up in the sense that I'm sort of pulling out some the plot kinks, but I'm not really making that much of an effort. I hope that you all enjoy this story for its plot rather than my writing style.

In other news, I got a laptop, which means now that I will have more fanfiction up faster. I mean, if I'm still writing a story, of course you will all have to wait. But the many stories that I have neglected finishing/posting because of my lack of computer access will be posted now. Even though I don't have internet, I'm in college now, so I can still use wireless and submit it. The good thing is that I can type at home, so that I can put it up **all at the same time.** _That's awesome. And my mom just bought a laptop, too, so she now has an incentive to actually PAY FOR INTERNET, which means that I'll probably have the internet at my house pretty soon. I would rather like to talk to a lot of my fans more, and that will give me the venue to do it._

In addition to this, I wanted to announce that the authoress that inspired me to better my own writing skills and major in English (with concentration on Creative writing), **samurai-ashes**, is leaving She says that she's grown out of fanfiction, and that she's going to go into more original fiction.

I want to say, first, that I HATE it when authors/authoresses do that. I think that if you decide to become involved in fanfiction that you should do it for life. I understand that there are things in life that happen and that people want to actually be legally published and all of that, that you want an education, that people in your family pass on, that you may lose your inspiration. But I would suggest a HIATUS rather than leave fanfiction. Take myself for example. I'm in college now. I've been on fanfiction for almost four or five years. Things change. Interests change. But you can still connect fanfiction to them. I plan on writing fanfiction as long as possible, just so you all know. I might take a while to post things. I might be busy, but I will never QUIT, and it bothers me that people are doing that. These are people who inspire others with words. People who give others hope that yes, an anime ending might suck, but that they can read better. There is hope that one day, there will be a professional writer who began with fanfiction and knows how to do things right/the best way possible. Some of these stories affect people's lives; they keep people from crying at night, they make people laugh right after a family member has gone. They parallel the lives of characters we love to our own, no matter if you like anime or movies or books, or if you like YAOI, YURI, or just regular old pairings. Fanfiction is a way of life, of sustenance, and a lot of people do not appreciate it…

**Samurai-ashes** leaving scars me more deeply than you all will know. There were times when I wanted to quit, because I thought I wasn't good enough. I was new and scared that I had no skill. I didn't know the rules. I didn't know how to write fanfiction at all. But she helped me. She spoke to me and counseled me and through reviewing and critiquing her fiction I learned how to construct my own, how to take ideas from seemingly nothing and spin it into a nicely themed one shot, or how to write a PWP and make it so enjoyable that it was acceptable. And when she reviewed my stories, I felt like GOD had come down from Heaven and personally held a conversation with me. You all think I'm a good writer, but I wouldn't have been HALF as good as I am now without reading her stories. I read her livejournal. I read her stories (which were slightly better, as they were unedited versions of her works and I enjoy well written lemons). I told everyone I could about her. Half of my friends read YAOI because of her **Third Grade Logic**, which is one of only two stories on this entire site that made me cry while I was reading it. I was rooting for her. I loved her, and she's leaving now…I just wish that she would reconsider, just a little. She doesn't have to start writing new stories. I would just like her to stay and help other people develop their skills some more. There are others who will still be reading her stories months from now. Will she ignore the 'Review Alerts' email? Will she refuse to reply to someone who has taken the time out to give her an honest opinion of her story? I still feel incomplete in my writing skills, and I feel like there's a hole being ripped in my artistic soul because after she leaves, I'll just be some stranger to her. I will no longer be 'one of her fans' or 'that girl who read her stories' or anything like that. It bothers me that, in the end, I will just be a screen name on fanfiction. She doesn't know my name. She doesn't know where I live, and she certainly doesn't know how she changed my life. When I email her, she'll think, 'who the heck is this?' because in the end, I mean nothing to her. I was just a portion of a part of her life that is now over.

I just had to get that off of my chest, because people quitting fanfiction breaks my heart. She was one of my favorite authoresses…

However, to cope with the loss, I will be saving all of her stories as Word Documents on my new laptop to commemorate her memory. One day, six years from now, I will find her on livejournal, or I will go to see her when her original fiction comes out, with a copy of **Third Grade Logic** in my hand, and I will ask her to sign it. And I will tell her who I am. And I will tell her that I am one of her oldest fans. And I will cry. Because I fell for her writing style and she broke my heart.

I keep saying '**samurai-ashes** is leaving'. It's a testament to my denial—

The truth is she's already left.

sob

"I will [**ALWAYS** return, for I am the darkness…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Two:**

"Blaise—"

"Aah—"

The heated moment belonged only to the occupants of the room, and Blaise was so grateful to have cast a soundproof spell on the classroom—just in case.

For Harry, he had gone all out: Blaise had gotten rid of all the desks and teacher's as well, and complete refurnished the room, conjuring a beautiful bed with black satin sheets and covers. And candles. Harry was a romantic, deep down, so there had to be candles. Floating candles everywhere.

Harry gave a final shout as Blaise released into him, the Slytherin's name ripped from his throat in desperate passion.

Trying to catch his breath, Blaise lowered himself to Harry's right side and took the Gryffindor's lips in a kiss. It was soft, fleeting, but he knew it was exactly what Harry needed. And, as Blaise expected, Harry moved slightly closer to him, head resting in the groove of Blaise's neck.

"Blaise…" Harry murmured against his skin, "Tomorrow's Saturday, so…"

Blaise shushed him.

"Yes," he added afterward, "You can stay here a bit longer."

(scene shift)

"Why do you keep doing this, Harry?" Hermione said, rising from her chair in the common room. Harry blanched; he hadn't thought that Hermione would be up. It was nearly five in the morning.

"You've been sneaking out for nearly a week in a half. Thank goodness Rom hadn't found out. I should tell him, Harry. I'm sure that he would be interested in knowing that you've been out with Blaise all this time."

Harry walked past the couch that Hermione was sitting on, not even looking back as he said, "My motives are none of your business," he said quietly.

"I think they are," Hermione replied. "Are you mad at me or Ron? Did either of us do something to make you upset. Is there something…that you want to tell us, but can't. There has to be a logical reason for this behavior, Harry."

When Harry finally turned, looking at her from the stairs of the Boy's Dormitories, he wore the most puzzling expression on his face. There was endearment in his eyes, but here was also a coldness, one that seemed to whisper something to Harry. And it looked as though Harry would obey it.

"Hermione," He continued calmly. "Maybe, for once, there is not logical explanation. Maybe it just happened."

"If it just _happened_, then why are you so secretive about it? Why are you so ashamed?"

"Why don't you just ask the others who've slept with Blaise, Hermione? See if _they'll_ have a reasonable explanation."

"Exactly! Why would you even sleep with someone who's had so many others? Ginny used to love you, and she never even got a chance. I—" Hermione stopped momentarily. "You even turned me down. What does that Slytherin have that we didn't? That we don't?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing."

(scene shift)

Having had Harry so early in the morning, Blaise felt good enough to actually think about starting his half of Snape's damn project.

And as he was walking down a hall on the first floor heading towards the dungeons, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, snatching at his robes and pulling him into an empty classroom as someone's mouth pressed harshly against his own.

Despite not having seen his captor, Blaise knew the man's sweet taste almost by heart.

"Bill!" he said as they separated.

Yes, Blaise found himself standing in front of the blue-eyed, pony-tailed, sexy-as-hell Bill Weasley. The only Weasley alive who had ever caught his eye. Somehow he wasn't like the other half-witted siblings.

Well, perhaps Blaise didn't view him that way because of the way they had met; while Blaise was vacationing in Spain…

"Yup. In the flesh," Bill returned calmly. "Gringotts sent me to speak with Dumbledore about the school's account. Nothing big. Dumbledore told me to take a stroll around the place while I was here, and who else should I find but you. Still sleeping around?"

Blaise looked slightly surprised. Considering that Blaise had never gone to school with Bill, the Slytherin's hadn't expected the other man to know anything about his reputation.

"Ron _is_ my brother, you know."

"It is nice to know," Blaise said stiffly, "that I'm popular at the Weasley residence."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Popular…? Sure, I'll give you that…from what I'm hearing these days, though, you're in high demand here."

"Maybe…it depends on who you're hearing that from," Blaise said coyly. Was Bill actually having someone watch him? The idea was strange, having someone watching over him.

"I'm not telling," Bill said with a roguish grin. "But…you do realize that I'll have to kill you if you ever touch Ron or Ginny." Despite the threat, lust hung from his every word.

"Out of brotherly duty or jealousy?" Was Blaise's response.

"Ha…both." Bill leaned in to kiss Blaise once more, and the Slytherin did nothing to stop him.

"Still as beautiful as ever, Bill."

"Flattery doesn't work on me," Bill kissed him yet again.

"Then why would you take this assignment—out of your way, I know it is—just to come as visit? You might not have found me at all."

"I could have come to see Ron." Another kiss.

"Instead of an owl? Not likely."

"Blaise…" Bill said seriously.

The Slytherin gave Bill his full attention. "Yes…?" he said breathlessly, tentatively.

"You don't have to be anywhere right now, do you?"

"No. I never thought you'd ask."

(scene shift)

Hermione never thought that she would have willingly walked to the dungeons for anything other than a Potions class. However, she needed to find Blaise, to discover what it was that he was doing to Harry.

What _was_ making Harry so interested in Blaise?

Draco and Pansy were outside in the hall, their conversation becoming hushed whispers as Hermione's presence was realized.

"Excuse me," Hermione began quietly; despite her previous dealings with Draco, she did not want to start anything. "But do you know—"

"No, we do not know where Blaise is," Pansy snapped.

"Now," Draco added, "remove yourself from our dungeons."

Considering that they hadn't called her a Mudblood or said anything utterly disrespectful, Hermione decided to do just what Malfoy told her for a change, without argument or protest. In any case, she had a more pressing issue. Where in the hell could Blaise be?

"Dammit, Blaise," she muttered under her breath.

(scene shift)

"Dammit, Blaise," Harry said through gritted teeth.

It was noon already, and Harry had been looking for Blaise all morning. How was it that the damn Slytherin knew where the hell everyone else was, but no one could ever find him?

He leaned against a wall, glaring at two Hufflepuff girls who were whispering and pointing at him conspicuously as they walked by.

Where the hell was Blaise?

Honestly, his conversation with Hermione bothered him. What _was_ it about Blaise that made him—and obviously many others—continue to go back to him? Harry wanted to know. It wasn't love; it had nothing to do with love, and Harry doubted that Blaise loved anyone, even if he was capable of doing so. Harry sighed.

_"Maybe, for once, there is no logical explanation."_

Was that really it? Was there really no explanation?

* * *

I'm sorry about my emotional outburst last time. I was spurred by the subject, and I promise that this Author's Note will not mention **her** at all, and will be significantly shorter.

A/N: I feel like this chapter is incomplete, but I can't do anything about it. I really can't. I wrote this story quite a while ago, and while it has a plot some of the descriptions seem a little bit "PWP" to me. I'll be attempting to clean some of this up, to try to actually get associations and a coherent story together for you all. I think that this is one of those things that you read because you like me as an author, not because it's good—the plot could have been made much larger, but I suppose that I can say that I'm happy with it. At least, I can tell you, it ends. I had issues with finishing stories at the time that this had been written, so I don't feel that bad about it…


	3. Chapter 3

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Three:**

Despite Bill's 'interruption', Blaise managed to write more than four and a half inches in the library, where he went after the encounter. He was slightly surprised that Hermione hadn't come around two; she was a Gryffindor, after all.

But as he was finishing off his tenth inch, he heard someone pull up a chair to his table. He smiled to himself.

"So, how are you these days, Zabini?"

Blaise frowned. "Hello, Cho," he said stiffly as he recognized her voice. She was another that he had never slept with, but with a reason that differed greatly from that of the Weasleys (most of them) or even Hermione Granger—

You see, Blaise made it a point to never sleep with the sluts of other Houses.

"I heard that you have to work with Granger in Snape's class."

"I'm working on my half of it now. What of it?"

"…that's not important, is it? So, I—"

"No, Cho. For the umpteenth time, no."

Cho looked angry, crossing her arms when Blaise finally looked up. "No fair, Zabini."

"Cho, in my very honest opinion, there is no amount of money in any currency that I would sleep with you for. Honestly."

Cho huffed. "Well, I don't want to say the same about you."

"That just tells you about our standards, doesn't it? I meet yours, but you most certainly don't meet mine. Are we done here?"

"Blaise," there were tears in her eyes. Blaise ignored them; she'd learned to cry on command after Cedric died. "I'm in love with you, and I can't—"

"Everyone's in love with me, Cho. Didn't you get the memo? First through Seventh years; students and teachers alike. Even some who have already graduated…" Blaise trailed off, thinking fondly of Bill.

"And you-you don't care anything about any of them!" At the accusation, Cho smiled wickedly.

"If I didn't care about them, I wouldn't be sleeping with them. _Hence yourself_." Cho frowned. "It's _love_ that I don't feel for them. You and your friends Lavender and Hannah, it's you who don't get the picture. It's not about money. It's not about popularity or who can sleep with whom. I have my own motive, damn it! And as long as you're being a slut just to be one, no one of any importance or self-esteem will ever sleep with you; I'm human, and I express feelings, like everyone else—not just lie there and let people take advantage of me because I feel I have something to prove. That's why you, Cho Chang, and the rest of your House Whores will never meet my standards."

Cho looked shocked and appalled; exactly what Blaise had been trying to do. "You're calling us whores? _You_ are more of a whore than any of us."

"Yes, I suppose that's why Harry's so interested in me, hm? He had a perfectly good bitch in his fifth year, didn't he?"

You filthy—"

"They have a saying in Italy you know," Blaise gathered his things and stood. "A true courtesan can seduce anyone without revealing an inch of clothing.

He then shot Cho a particularly dirty wink that made her blush in spite of herself, pink tinting her cheeks.

Blaise only spoke one word before leaving. "See?"

(scene shift)

Hermione was both surprised and delighted to spot Blaise coming from the library on her way up to Gryffindor Tower. He even had parchment in his hands, and of course Hermione easily made the connection.

"Blaise!" she shouted quietly, running up beside him.

The Slytherin rolled his eyes. "What is it that _you_ want?"

"I thought you had a life to attend to," Hermione said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I do. But I'm in a good mood today, so I put my very important life on hold."

"How much did you write?"

Blaise shrugged. "About ten inches."

Hermione paused. "I was looking for you."

"So was Cho over there," the Slytherin said, pointing in the opposite direction from them at Cho, who was exiting the library. She aimed a quick, angry glare at Blaise before disappearing out of sight.

"What did you do to her?" Hermione snapped.

Blaise replied, a smirk on his face, "Nothing. That's why she's so upset."

Hermione gasped slightly, trying to catch herself. She knew that Blaise was doing this just to upset her. "Cho? Cho too? Exactly how many people have you seduced? You are absolutely shameless!"

Blaise didn't answer that, but said instead, "Did you know that Bill Weasley was visiting? He had business with Dumbledore, he said. I saw him down a hall on the ground floor on my way here."

"Bill Weasley…?" Hermione said, surprised that Blaise would know the names of those in Ron's family, let alone speak them.

"Yes, another one, I know. But I like Bill." Blaise raised his eyebrows suggestively. "He's a good kisser, that Bill…"

Hermione put space between them, leaping back as though Blaise had been infected with the plague, and the Gryffindor realized her face was turning red with anger. "Bill?" she said in outraged tones. "Bill? That's Ron's _brother_!" she said it because that fact alone made it a sin; what the hell was wrong with everybody? Blaise was not that special. He was nothing but a pompous, manipulative Slytherin. How was it that everyone missed that? How could Harry have missed that? He was in bloody Slytherin!

"Unfortunately, yes." Blaise rolled his eyes once more at her response. "If you're surprised at Cho and Bill, perhaps I really should make a list."

"You disgust me," she said with contempt, and Blaise looked as though he had been slapped. But he deserved it, in her opinion.

Swallowing hard, Blaise took a deep breath. "Not enough to tell poor little Ronnikins, I hope. It would break his little red heart." When Hermione pursed her lips and didn't answer, Blaise said harshly, "Why are you here?"

Hermione paused, thrown off by his change in demeanor. "I wanted to talk to you about Harry."

Blaise smirked. "Want to know how good in bed he is?"

"No," Hermione said coldly. "I want to know what the hell you're doing to him. I want to know why he keeps coming back to you, why you keep using him, and I won't stop asking until you give me answers."

"Granger, darling, you should focus more on your studies. This really isn't any of your business."

_"My motives are none of your business."_

Harry's words from the night before rang in her ears. She shook her head, both to the memory and to Blaise. "It _is_ my business! I'm his friend!" A pause. "And don't call me darling."

"Would Harry appreciate it if I told him that you were pestering me?"

"He shouldn't care about anything you say, you slimy, lecherous Slytherin!"

"But he does," Blaise said smugly. "And even though it bothers you, you can't change it. I take it you _told_ Harry about how you feel?"

"Of course I did. I may have to do a project with you, but I'm not going to let you use Harry."

"I'm not using anyone. Harry comes to me of his own free will, as do all of my…partners. I can't help you being jealous."

Hermione recoiled as though she had been hit. "Jealous? Of a slut?"

Blaise shrugged, apparently not bothered by the insult. "Are you finished here, Mudblood?"

Having heard the phrase so many times before, Hermione was not very much affected by hearing it again—

Then there was the soft coo of an owl above them, and Hermione and Blaise both looked upward to the ceiling to see Hedwig circling the air above them.

"Hedwig!" Hermione gasped. "Is Harry looking for me?"

"No," Blaise said immediately, catching a folded note as it fell from Hedwig's beak. "Mine."

"You don't know that! Give me the letter!" Blaise was really beginning to piss her off, and Hermione almost wanted to hit him.

However, Blaise maneuvered the letter out of her reach, opening it and saying bluntly, "Now look what you've done; Harry's looking for me."

"I thought that would be good," Hermione muttered, remembering the night before.

"Not in this case, dolt. Exactly what notion did you put into my Harry's head?"

"He's _not_ your Harry!" Hermione yelled.

"He's mine, and has been for the past few weeks."

Hermione said in frustrated tones, "But so has everyone _else_!"

"Exactly."

(scene shift)

Harry had wanted to meet Blaise that night, in their usual empty classroom. Despite the Mudblood's attempts to take Harry's letter, Blaise had effectively kept it from her hands.

Blaise was staying up that night, in the Slytherin Common Room, waiting until midnight when he would meet Harry.

"Who are you going to see this time, Blaise?" sounded a lazily seductive voice, and Blaise felt certain familiar arms encircle his neck from behind the couch he was seated on.

"Draco?" he guessed quietly. "Thought you were asleep."

"I was…for a short while." The arms pulled him into the back of the green, velvet couch. "Now I'm here. Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I sleep when I want to," Blaise said coldly. He jerked away from Draco's grasp and stood.

"Don't get upset over nothing," Draco said hastily, making his way around the couch. "I'm not scolding you."

Blaise sighed. "I'm just so sick of people giving me shit about Harry."

"Harry?" Draco's slender blonde eyebrows rose.

Blaise laughed. "You didn't know? You have to be the only one who doesn't."

"Well, I, for one, try not to pry into your personal affairs."

"Liar," Blaise muttered. "But…even if you didn't pry, you'd be one against…what? Half of the school by now?"

Draco traveled behind Blaise, this time placing arms around the other Slytherin's waist. "Blaise?" he murmured against the robe of the boy in question.

"Hm."

"Could you…not see Harry tonight?"

And then Blaise smiled, a wicked smile that show he knew Draco's reasons for wanting him to stay were complete different from Cho's would have been. Or Hermione's.

Draco trailed kisses down his jaw, and Blaise shuddered.

He decided…to not see Harry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Four:**

Harry awoke with a headache. He had waited for Blaise the night before, but the Slytherin had never showed.

Now, frustrated and groggy from several days' lack of sleep, Harry was wondering what the hell had happened to Blaise. Despite being who he was Blaise had always come when Harry asked, and the Gryffindor wanted to find out what exactly could have distracted Blaise to the point where he would stand Harry up.

Even at breakfast, Harry could tell that Hermione noticed that something was up with him. She questioned his state of mental health, tying to hide the suspicion from her expression that Blaise had hurt Harry in some way. Harry refused to tell her anything.

(scene shift)

"I'm fine, really," Harry said, glancing quickly at the Slytherin table. Hermione didn't believe him one tiny bit. She couldn't believe that he had stayed up all night with Blaise again, and wasn't going to tell anyone about it. After her conversation with Blaise the day before, Hermione was more determined than ever to discover the truth behind Blaise's behavior. She refused to believe that there was no explanation for it at all.

"Really, mate," Ron said, "you look rather…down. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "Just a bit tired, is all."

Hermione's expression darkened.

"Well, it's Sunday; why not take nap?" Ron suggested. "Then late, you can join us."

Hermione smiled; Ron could be so sweet sometimes.

"Oh, look, its Cho," Ron added as the Ravenclaw entered the Great Hall.

Hermione frowned; Ron could be such an ass sometimes. But Ron had spoken the truth; Cho walked gracefully into the Great Hall, making sure to pass the Gryffindor Table on the way to Ravenclaw's. She stopped to give Harry a stern glare before moving on.

"Ookay," Harry said wearily. "What was that about?"

"I dunno," Ron answered. "She's becoming a real bitch these days anyway."

"Ron!" Hermione said loudly. Both boys knew she did not appreciate the sort language.

"But S'true."

"It's impolite to talk about people like that," Hermione chided.

"Like how you talk about Blaise Zabini?" Harry said coldly.

"Well," Ron interjected, "he _is_ a whore. Well, a man-whore—"

"This has nothing to do with you, Ron."

"It does!" Hermione exclaimed.

"…I'm missing something, aren't I?" Ron asked, looking lost.

"Yes! That Harry is sleeping with Blaise!" she hissed.

Time seemed to stop at the Gryffindor Table. Ron's eyes widened. "Harry? You?"

Harry said nothing, only giving his best friend a solemn look that said, _Yes._

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan looked at Harry in disbelief. "You, too?" Dean Thomas said, and blushed. Seamus scratched his head and looked rather stricken. Ginny was looking at Harry as though she was going to be violently sick.

As for Harry, he replied to Hermione's comment with bland indifference.

"I'm fine, Hermione," he said, and he continued to eat breakfast. "Don't worry about me."

(scene shift)

Across the room, Blaise could sense this lack of emotion in his previous lover. As he turned to look at Harry, after avoiding the wizard's gaze all morning, he could see the stricken look on Ginny's face, and the shocked expressions coming from Seamus and Dean, both of whom had also been lovers of his.

Despite regretting the missed gathering with Harry, Blaise smiled wickedly as he turned back to his own table. "I guess you weren't the only one…"he said quietly, looking at Draco.

"Something wrong?" Draco asked innocently from opposite Blaise. Blaise knew the Malfoy was teasing him, but complied with an answer.

"Of course not, Draco," Blaise said seductively.

(scene shift)

Blaise was in the library, adding four more inches to his paper when Harry arrived. Blaise had ignored the Boy Who Lived as he made his way across the large room, each step echoing as he came closer and closer to the Slytherin. Blaise, coincidentally, had seated himself in the same chair he had the day before, and it was only when Harry sat across from him that he spoke.

"Don't sit there." His words were neither affectionate nor reprimanding.

"Why?" Harry snapped, already upset, "Is it—"

"Because Cho sat there yesterday," Blaise finished. "I do not want you associated with her filth. She disgusts me."

And somehow, even though Blaise knew that Harry was extremely upset with him, he also knew that Harry felt a bit better by knowing that piece of information.

"Thank you," Blaise said as Harry sat next to Blaise rather than across to him. "Harry, I know you're upset about last night, and I should have sent word about not coming. But I didn't. And I can't change it now, so if you want to hate me, go ahead. I'm far used to it by now."

Blaise was actually surprised that he hadn't lied about that. He'd made it a bit dramatic, but…Other than omitting Draco from the conversation, that was how he sincerely felt about that situation. And, considering that Harry was one of the greatest lovers Blaise had ever had (though he'd had to teach Harry a few things); he hoped Harry could see that truth for what it was.

(scene shift)

Harry, for his part, was also vaguely surprised. He had expected some sort of horrible excuse. And there was something in Blaise's eyes that told him the Slytherin was telling the truth.

But there was something that told Harry that Blaise hadn't divulged the whole story, either. And considering who Blaise was, and his background, the only question left to ask was…

"So, who was it?" Harry asked bitterly.

Blaise seemed unruffled by his question.

"Draco," the Slytherin said, and was that a slight hint of shame in Blaise's eyes? Harry shook his head. Blaise feeling any emotion was almost impossible for Harry to imagine.

"Should have known," Harry said quietly, rising from his seat. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know if here was anything else _to_ say at the moment. To be honest, he really didn't want things between him and Blaise—despite the way he knew Blaise was using him. He had never cared about Blaise sleeping with anyone else before.

_But Blaise has never stood you up to sleep with anyone else before, either,_ a voice inside told him.

Blaise didn't stop Harry as he rose, only saying thoughtfully, "I wish that I could make it up to you…" he looked up at Harry, giving the Gryffindor a very apologetic stare.

Harry gave Blaise a once over.

_Dammit…why the hell is he so irresistible?_

Harry shrugged. "Hey, they'll be other chances, right?"

* * *

A/N: I had to break up this chapter more than I usually do. When I first wrote it, I had in mind to use third person omniscient, and I used several different points of view at once. However, more than often the chapters are rather one sided in though pattern, so I've broken it up so that there are several points of view in the chapter, limited to their own section. Sorry if the breaking it up interrupts your reading. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Five:**

After Sunday afternoon, Blaise had finished his half of the Potions project, and looked forward to never looking at any descriptions of Polyjuice potion ever again. He appeared in front of the girls' bathroom on the third floor just as Hermione was exiting with Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

"Here," he said simply, not really caring if he startled them, "it's my half of the paper. Write it in with yours. Make it look good."

Hermione huffed, and Parvati looked away from him shyly. Blaise completely ignored Lavender, who was batting her eyelashes at him furiously.

Blaise continued. "Do not write small, and do whatever it is you need to make sure that it is 36 inches. No more. No less. I do not want points taken from this essay, however slim the chances of that happening may be. Double check my information in that book of yours, and check my grammar and spelling though I assure you it is impeccable. I expect the first rough draft on Tuesday for me to rewrite and correct. No sooner. I do not even want you to give me a _look_ that mentions that piece of parchment."

To Blaise's surprise, Hermione answered just as frankly as he had spoken. "It will be as good as whatever you just gave me," she said with a roll of her eyes.

With that settled Blaise bowed, taking Parvati's hand and kissing it. "I'm Blaise…" he said eloquently.

Parvati blushed and giggled, playfully swatting his hand away. Hermione's face contorted in an expression of disgust and Lavender was still obviously vying for Blaise's attention, her efforts futile.

"Er—" Hermione began. Clearly, she was trying to distract him from Parvati. "Blaise, there's something about the—"

"What did we just discuss?" Blaise said politely. He smiled; he knew Hermione was just trying to protect Parvati, whom he hadn't yet slept with due to her sister Padma. Damn prick. "In any case, I've got to go. Good luck on that paper. "And with that Blaise departed.

(scene shift)

"Damn him," Hermione muttered as the Slytherin walked away, Parvati still blushing. Then she was struck with a sudden thought.

_He has to 'go'? …He's going to meet Harry, isn't he?_

(scene shift)

Indeed, Blaise was on his way to Harry. He weaved though the crowds of ongoing students; his next class was Advanced Care of Magical Creatures, but Harry's was Defense Against the Dark Arts, only down the hall from where Hermione had been.

No one had arrived to the classroom yet, including Professor Lupin, who had been reinstated after his fifth year. No one else wanted the job anymore; the rumor that the position was cursed had spread wildly. Personally, Blaise felt very bittersweet about Lupin. He was cute, yes, and not older than Severus, so not over Blaise's vaguely established age-line…but on the other hand, Lupin seemed to be a very 'rule-abiding' person, which made sense to Blaise considering that Lupin was a Lycanthrope…and, honestly Blaise could tell that Lupin had some sort of feeling towards him, but he could not take that chance until he knew for certain.

(scene shift)

Harry was surprised to see Blaise waiting for him at the entrance to this DADA class. Seeing that all, or at least most of the Gryffindors now knew about Blaise, Harry had no qualms about talking to him, though the thought of having had qualms in the first place made him feel a tad guilty.

_Guilty_ He thought. He _stood _me_ up. Why should _I_ feel guilty?_

"Hello, Harry," sounded Blaise's sweet voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for you." Blaise fluttered his eyelashes. "Why else would I risk being pounded to death by Gryffindorks?"

"Harry!" that was Hermione's cheery, but slightly worried voice.

"Hermione," Harry said flatly, then turned back to Blaise. Hermione glanced at Harry, and slowly entered the classroom. Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"What happened—"

"Harry!" another cheery voice, this time Dean Thomas. Blaise smirked and waved, and Dean blushed before continuing on talking to Harry. "It'll be alright," he said, "Ron just has to get over it…"

Almost as though on queue Ron passed by, looking sullenly at Dean and Harry, and the glaring with a surprising amount of rage at Blaise. Harry glared back, and Ron's gaze broke in shock before he entered the classroom. Blaise waved a dismissive hand.

"Don't bother. Not worth a bit." Blaise crossed his arms. "So what's happened between you and the others? The both of them seem pretty devastated."

"Hermione exploded about you in the Great Hall, so now all the Gryffindors are mad at you," Dean piped up.

"All of them?" Blaise looked Dean over, and the Gryffindor blushed slightly before making a hasty exit. Harry wanted to say something about that exchange, but decided it was in his own best interest not to.

Suddenly, Professor Lupin was behind Harry. Blaise smiled.

"To what do I owe the privilege of you keeping students from my class, Mr. Zabini?"

"It was necessary that I…speak with Harry," Blaise said confidently.

"Perhaps another time. I do believe you have your own class to attend…"

Harry blushed. Blaise whispered a soft, "I'll find you later," in the brunette's ear before pushing himself away from both Professor and student. He smiled as the door closed after the two entered the room.

Perhaps he should visit Lupin again later after all.

(scene shift)

"Where were you?" Draco questioned. No longer partial to Care of Magical Creatures, Draco had taken the course only because Blaise had—Blaise held a certain affinity for animals—and Draco and Hagrid had established a sort of unspoken agreement; Draco turned in a six inch long summary of every class, and did not touch a single creature at all. Neither had addressed the issue of Third year; it seemed that neither intended to.

For now, they were working with Thestrals, the "invisible" labor behind the flying carriages. They were rather interesting creatures, though it was fun to watch those who couldn't see them try to grab onto a flying horse that stood several feet away from them. But Blaise had no difficulty finding them, despite the fact that he had never seen one in his life.

Draco spotted them perfectly.

"I was talking to Harry."

"I still loathe you for addressing him as 'Harry'. In fact, I _loathe_ you for sleeping with him. You told me last night you wanted me instead."

"I do want you, but not instead," Blaise winked.

Draco, however, looked serious. "Then why did you say it?"

No one else besides Blaise would have seen the conniving smile in Draco's eyes.

"You know why I said it," Blaise smiled cruelly, "because you wanted to hear it."

"Giving people what they want is a habit you must stop."

Blaise's eyes iced over. He was no longer joking. "I only said it because it was you," he said coldly.

Draco ignored Blaise's sudden change of mood.

"And if Harry asked you the same thing tonight—and I know you're going to see him—would you tell him yes or no?"

"I wouldn't say anything. I would make him forget before he could press me. I have my ways."

Draco laughed. "I _know_ that. I was with you last night, remember?"

"Besides," Blaise said, changing the subject, "We're not doing anything tonight. Only talking."

"Only talking? Please, Blaise."

"I mean it. I can feel it. He wants to talk, and I'm not going to force myself on him. Not my style. I'm not Severus." Blaise gave Draco a dirty smile. "_He_, the other hand, is not the talking type."

"Not surprised at all." Draco turned to glance in the direction of Hagrid and the class—who were going about as usual—before he leaned close to Blaise, planting a small kiss on the other Slytherin's lips.

"What if I asked you not to meet with Harry again tonight?"

Blaise blinked slowly, as though he was considering it. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "Draco…"

Draco planted more kisses on Blaise's neck, and Blaise's eyes snapped shut. "Please? Just find another time to talk to him."

Blaise took a deep breath, and said bluntly, "I don't appreciate you fucking around with me like that, Draco." He carefully moved around, away from the other Slytherin. "We're close, but I don't appreciate being used. I'd have to tell you no."


	6. Chapter 6

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Six:**

When Harry entered the room that Blaise usually reserved for them, he seemed mildly surprised to find not a romantic setting—just a classroom. It worried Harry a little. Blaise was not a person to do something without reason.

"Blaise?"

The Slytherin in question was sitting on a desk, watching the door as if he knew Harry was coming.

"Yes?" Blaise said evenly. Then, to explain, "I had the feeling you'd wanted to tell me something."

Harry blinked. How did Blaise figure that out? "Well—"

"You can sit; I won't bite," Blaise said in a sexy voice. But that was all it way, sexy—there was no meaning behind it, no invitation.

Blaise, looked as though he wanted to add that missing invitation, but didn't, and Harry was glad for it.

Harry chose to sit on the desk beside him, on Blaise's left.

"Blaise—" Harry began, but stopped.

Blaise smiled. "You don't have to tell me right now, we can wait until you find the words."

Harry glanced at Blaise, slightly bewildered about that statement, but he smiled.

"Blaise…" he began again, "you really aren't that bad a guy."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "You thought I was a bad person, then?"

"Honestly," Harry said truthfully, "I used to."

Blaise gave a shy smile, almost sad. "Do you still think so?"

"…No."

"…Yes you do," Blaise said, his voice calm.

"No, I don't."

"Of course you do, everyone does, to a degree." A pause. "Harry, you like the 'me' that you're talking to; of course you do, and so do a million others. You can't tell me, however, that you still like the part of me that's slept with those other million, just like they can't."

Harry said nothing.

"So," Blaise continued, "Why do you keep coming back to me, Harry?" Blaise lifted his chin with a hand, forcing Harry to look into Blaise's brown eyes. "Isn't that what you want to know? Tell me."

"Blaise…"

"Don't hesitate on my behalf. There is nothing you can say that hasn't been said by others."

"…I don't know," Harry said uncertainly.

"You do, deep down." Blaise let go of Harry, leapt off of the desk he had been seated on, and strolled gracefully to the door of the room before saying, "I worry about you, Harry. Before you fall for me, Boy Who Lived, take a look at who I am, and get rid of whatever feeling is rising in you. You don't want to end up like the masses."

"The masses?"

"There are many people 'in love' with me right now, Harry. I like you, and you're a nice person and all, but don't become one of those people. For my sake and yours." He smiled. "You should have listened to Hermione—"

"She has nothing to do with this." The entire affair with Blaise was his, Harry's own, and he still wanted to know why. Somehow, looking 'deep down' didn't cut it for him. It wasn't over yet. Blaise was hiding something.

"Suit yourself," Blaise said lightheartedly. Harry followed Blaise's action, only more roughly, and the chair he had been sitting on scraped across the floor as he leapt off. Harry, approaching Blaise, kissed the Slytherin hungrily, pushing him against the door. Harry was going to get the last word in this time. Harry parted Blaise's lips hastily, and only when Blaise moaned softly did Harry step away. He was surprised when he saw the Slytherin's swollen lips, but kept himself under control while he made his exit.

"I'll be seeing you, Blaise."

(scene shift)

Blaise was slightly worried. It wasn't the kiss or even the parting words from Harry that bothered him. It was Harry's determination. He didn't need anyone else finding out anything about him. He already had Draco, and he was a handful.

But at the same time, he was intrigued. Blaise wondered for a few seconds after Harry left, after that warm feeling at the pit of his stomach died down, if he would be able to break Harry like the others.

Then he laughed bitterly to himself, and decided not to play that game again; he had done the same with Draco, and now look where the two of them were.

Blaise shook his head slightly. Too much thinking. Thinking at this point was bad. Perhaps he should go to see Severus; it was late enough in the evening, and besides…

He needed a good, no-questions-asked fuck.

(scene shift)

Harry was surprised, even moments after arriving in Gryffindor Tower. This time is was Ron waiting for him when he stepped into the Common Room. He wondered what conversation would go on this time. He didn't fancy the idea of ending up mad at both of his friends.

Am_ I mad at both of them?_ Harry asked himself. _Hermione's still talking to me…_

"Ron," he said curtly.

Ron didn't even look at him; he just stared darkly at the flames in the fireplace. "I didn't believe it," Ron said, "until I saw you outside of Lupin's class."

Harry smiled sadly. "Thanks for the faith. But I did tell you it was true."

"…you know what? This makes me wonder, Harry. Have I—"

"No," Harry said heatedly. "I'm tired of everyone thinking that they did something wrong to make me go to Blaise. It's not your fault. It's no one's fault. I just did it, okay. On my own. Don't blame yourself."

Ron shook his head. "Harry. You don't do things for no reason. I'm your best friend. Don't lie to me, Harry. If you don't want to talk about it, fine, but don't lie." Ron smiled. "You know it was someone's fault. But you won't let them take the blame. I know at least that about you."

(Flashback)

_"What's wrong?" sounded a tentative voice._

_When Harry looked up, he didn't expect to see Blaise. The voice didn't fit him; __Slytherins__ didn't normally sound nice. Especially when Harry was around._

_Harry immediately didn't trust him. _

_"It's not good to roam the halls, you know," the Slytherin said. "__not__ even when you're beating yourself up."_

_To counter the truth. "You don't know anything about me. I don't beat myself up."_

_"Of course not. That why those pretty green eyes have tears in them. Here," Blaise took a handkerchief from a pocket of his robes and handed it to Harry, who was attempting to shield his face form view. "Use this."_

_Harry hesitated._

_"I'm not going to kill you, goodness; if I really wanted you expelled, I would have gotten Filch hours ago. You've been here for quite a while."_

_"How do you know?"_

_"I've been watching. I've got nothing better to do. What's wrong?"_

_"Why should I trust you, Slytherin?"_

_Blaise held out his hands. "I've nothing to hide. As of now, if we're caught, we both get points taken."_

_"Unless it's Snape," Harry muttered._

_"Tell you what; I'll cover for you if we're caught, but you have to tell me what's bothering you."_

_Harry was still skeptical, and a little confused._

_"How do I know you're not lying?"_

_Blaise blinked, and without turning from the Gryffindor, pulled a shard of glass from a pocket of robes. "It's from the vial Neville broke in Potions today." He said, and with a swipe, cut __I__ across his hand before Harry could stop him._

_"What are you doing?" Harry hissed as Blaise's blood fell to the ground._

_"Proving to you that I'm not lying."_

_Of its own accord, Harry's hand shot__ up to take the glass from Blaise. "Stop." It was too late, though; the blood was already pouring from his arm._

_Blaise let go of the glass, and Harry pocketed it instead, where it wouldn't do anyone __harm__. Why Zabini do something like that?_

_Harry sighed, taking out his wand and whispering, "I can't believe you…_Episkey_." As he passed his wand over Blaise's wound, it healed almost immediately. There was a moment of silence, and then, "I hurt one of my friends," Harry said wearily._

_Blaise smiled. "You can't help how you feel."_

_Harry's head snapped up in the Slytherin's direction. "How did you—"_

_"You look like it. I'm not surprised, though. You try so hard…to protect those that you love."_

_"…"_

_"You can't help it. It's not your fault."_

_"Thanks, Blaise."_

_"__Hm__? So you do know my name." Blaise pulled Harry to his feet. "__Come on now, Harry; you __shouldn't sulk. Besides, if we stay here, we might__ be found out by Filch. And," Blaise planted a kiss on Harry's nose, and then pushed up Harry's glasses. "I think you're cute."_

_To his own surprise, Harry blushed. The warm sensation in his face stayed there, and he wished he could take his Invisibility Cloak from his pocket to keep the redness he knew was there from view._

_"Modest, too," Blaise smiled._

_"__Er__…Blaise," Harry said awkwardly; he couldn't seem to get his blush to die down. Something about Blaise's smile kept him blushing. "Blaise? Where are we going?"_

_"Where do you want to go? I assume not yet Gryffindor Tower?"_

_Harry pondered. No, he wasn't ready to go back to Gryffindor, to Hermione._

_"…I don't know."_

_Blaise smiled. "You're a beautiful person, Harry. Don't let your feelings control you." They were close now, very close, and Blaise brushed a stray hair from Harry's glasses._

_"Blaise…why are here so…late? Were you meeting someone…?"_

_"No. It is simply that…one becomes tired of being used, so I am…relieving stress."_

_Despite the fact that he was a Slytherin, Harry felt his heart go out to Blaise._

_"You know what would help me feel better, Harry?"_

_"…what?" Harry felt a lurch in his stomach, one that said, 'here it comes…you knew this was a trick all along, you dunce!"_

_"If you stayed here with me."_

_Harry was so surprised, he was speechless._

_"I…just don't want to be alone with my thoughts," Blaise added._

_"Of course," Blaise said seriously, and suddenly, slowly, gently brought his lips to Harry's._

(End Flashback)


	7. Chapter 7

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Seven:**

"You weren't at breakfast this morning."

"Draco, the only reason why I've even _been_ to breakfast lately is Harry."

"You said that you two weren't going to do anything."

Blaise smiled. They were in Potions again, and Severus had given them busy work—summoning an entire chapter from their potions text, with a partner. Of course, Draco did not hesitate in attaching himself to Blaise; in fact, they'd already been sitting beside one another.

"With Harry," Blaise said. "I said I wouldn't do anything with _Harry_."

Draco sighed. "If you needed a pick-me-up that badly, you could've gotten me."

"Blaise rolled his eyes. "No. You pry, Draco. I wanted someone who wouldn't ask question."

"So…?"

"I thought to see Snape…but I turned around when I got to his door."

"I was right down the hall!" Draco hissed. Numerous eyes turned their way, including Harry's. Blaise made eyes contact with the Gryffindor for a moment before looking back at Draco.

"I went to see Lupin instead," he whispered.

Draco gasped silently. "But I thought—"

"Yes, that he wasn't sure? Well, he's not anymore. At least, he was sure enough to let me into his quarters past midnight."

"You know, it won't last with Lupin; you know he's plagued with guilt."

"I won't worry about that now. He's actually pretty tender. Complete opposite of Severus. You'd think I was his first, how gentle he was. First time I ever topped a Professor."

"You topped Lupin?"

"It really wasn't hard…he let me. I have to talk to him soon; he was pretty down in the dumps."

"To the point where he'd let you top him, apparently," Draco shook his head. "I don't want him anymore."

"…are you seeing anyone tonight?"

"Not as of now. Too early to tell."

"If you're not asked by six, stay with me. We're having a small party in Hogsmeade. You know how to get there."

"Another whore party in Hogsmeade. You know how to get there."

"Why not? Cho is supposed—"

"Cho? You know how much I don't like—"

"Well, get over it. Do something for yourself. Have a little fun. The party will only be half as good without you."

"…I'll be busy tonight."

"Blaise…" Draco sighed. "…then don't come. See if I care."

"Don't care. Lying to yourself is a serious problem."

"So is being easy, but you're in the same boat, then."

Unable to think of a comeback, Draco said, "Cho likes you, Blaise—let go for a moment, will you?"

Blaise stood. "Don't ever suggest that to me again!"

Silence ensued, during which the entire class, Snape included, looked at Blaise in bewilderment. Blaise didn't seem to notice, only turning in Snape's direction to receive his 'punishment'.

"Mister Zabini," Snape said in his calm but deadly voice, "Whatever quarrel is occurring between you and Mister Malfoy, I suggest that you halt it right now. Zabini, I will see you after class. Sit down."

Draco blinked as Blaise did as he was told, speaking in whispers to Blaise as though nothing had happened.

"I guess _Severus_ really wants to see you again, hmm?"

(scene shift)

After the outburst from Blaise, Harry was officially concerned. What did Draco say to elicit such a reaction from Blaise? And then, now that Harry thought about it, why was Draco the only one who could get a reaction like that?

It was Blaise. Blaise knew why, and if Harry left things up to the Slytherin, he would never know.

He was hiding something.

After class, Harry decided to wait for Blaise, to ask him about that—

He wasn't the only one waiting.

Draco, after closing the door to the classroom—for some reason or another, he was always the last to leave—leaned against it as though guarding something while glaring at Harry, who leaned on the opposite wall.

"What do you want, Potter?"

Harry replied without shifting, "I'm waiting for Blaise. I want to talk to him."

Draco snorted. "Setting up another all nighter?"

Harry should have expected Draco to have known about that. "No, not that it's any of your business."

Draco gave a twisted smiled, as if laughing cruelly at an inside joke only he understood. "He's mine," Draco said. Then the smiled disappeared. "Blaise is mine, Harry. It doesn't matter how long he sleeps with you, or anyone else for that matter. Blaise belongs to me, and there is nothing you can bloody do about it, I want you to know."

And Harry could tell that he was dead serious.

_…wait. Did he just call me, 'Harry'?_

Both to that thought and Draco, he answered, "I don't care."

"Oh, you will, Potter. Just don't forget. He's mine, and I won't let you take him from me."

Harry's retort was interrupted by a small crash and a yell from inside the classroom.

"Wow, Snape must be mad…" Harry muttered.

Draco laughed that laugh again, from before, but said nothing.

Then the door knob fidgeted, and Draco moved aside as it opened, and Blaise emerged, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Sorry, Professor!" he shouted into the room before he closed the door. He faced the pair waiting for him, and the blush dissolved. "Harry? Need something?" Blaise flashed a glare at Draco, which was ignored.

"Just wanted to know how much trouble you were in. You seemed really upset."

"…just a lecture." Blaise said.

"Of course…" Harry muttered. "_I'd_ get detention if it were me."

Draco looked utterly uncomfortable, standing there hand having to witness a conversation between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin. He looked as though he wanted to hit Harry in the face and tell him to bugger off.

Blaise smiled. "Remember," he said softly, in a way that Draco wished he friend would _not_ address Harry, "I said I'd cover for you if you were caught."

Harry blushed slightly, eyes traveling to Blaise's left hand. The scar was still there.

"Sorry for interrupting the moment, gentleman," Draco snapped, "But Blaise, we have a class to get to."

Blaise turned to Draco. "Alright. I guess I'll see you later, Harry," he added with a smile.

Harry smiled back, and just to spite Draco, pecked Blaise on the cheek before turning to walk away.

So Blaise belonged to Draco, huh? He would see about that.

* * *

A/N: This chapter is not actually much of anything. Just a bit of filler transition for the story. I was thinking about integrating it with chapter eight, but it would just be too long. I also thought to be rid of it and adjust the story with the lost time slot, but I just thought it was funnier this way. Harry actually believing that Snape was 'yelling' or 'lecturing' Blaise in that room, even after the random crash of objects inside, is hilarious to me. I think this is also a good transition to Draco in the story, as he hasn't been too involved until this point. You'll see. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Eight:**

"Hermione."

When she turned, she expected to see Blaise—there to collect his paper, of course—but was utterly surprised to see Draco.

"Great," she muttered. "I seem to have gained popularity among the Slytherins."

"You don't have enough charisma to be popular in your _own_ house. Unfortunately, we have standards," Draco replied dryly.

Hermione coughed, letting the blonde boy know that her patience was wearing thin.

"Well," Draco continued, "It isn't that hard to find you, if that's what you mean. I used Blaise, otherwise…I would have guessed here and found you anyway."

"What do you want?"

"You are…unhappy with the current situation with…Harry and Blaise."

"What are you getting at?"

"I am unhappy as well. You want t keep Harry from Blaise; I want to keep Blaise from Harry…I think we can do something about it."

"No," was Hermione's first answer on instinct. Despite the fact that Harry was upset at her at the moment, he was still her friend, even if Blaise was the one who made him happy.

_"Hermione…I can't say I love you. I just can't. I can't picture us…going that far."_

The words hurt as she remembered them, the words Harry had used to reject her.

Draco must have seen the hurt on her face. "Why?" sounded his response. "Is it wrong to want the best for Harry? Is there something wrong with caring for the welfare of your friend? Last time I checked, kindness and love and all that was what you Gryffindors—" he spat the name out with restraint, "were all about."

Hermione looked at him, and laughed at the deepest corner of her soul. She would never fall for a cheap ploy like that, but all things considered, she really did want Harry away from Blaise.

_…well. I'll just go through Blaise myself…_

Hermione shook her head. "I'll handle it my own way."

A scowl crossed the Slytherin's face. "Have it your way, then, Mudblood."

"I will. And tell Blaise to see me as soon as possible," she replied calmly.

"…handle it your own way, Gryffinwhore."

Hermione gasped, and couldn't' find her voice for the moment that it took Draco to walk away.

_Damn you, Blaise! You're hiding something!_

(scene shift)

"Draco, you slimy, slithering bitch!"

Draco looked up. Not having had a craving for lunch, he had gone outside. Lying on the grass face up, he had felt Blaise's approach on the ground before he heard the voice.

"What?" Draco said lazily.

"I felt it! You thought I wouldn't know!? I should've known what you were up to when you asked me to find Hermione! What're you thinking—" Blaise fell heavily to the ground next to Draco. "—telling her things like that! I don't know quite what you said, but why do you have to be so-so—"

"Jealous?" Draco pushed himself up into a sitting position. He turned to his left, to Blaise, and said breathlessly, "What's wrong with being jealous, Blaise? Perhaps," Draco grazed Blaise's lips with his own, "I love you just enough to be jealous."

Blaise took in a sharp breath, and Draco gave him a wicked smile. Blaise turned away. "You don't love me, Draco. Far from it. I'm just your tool. I don't know what you're using me for yet, but I know it has nothing to do with love."

Draco frowned. "On the contrary. I'm very attracted to you, Blaise. You know that." Draco ran his hands down Blaise's chest, and Blaise's breath began to quicken as the other Slytherin's touch breached his robes.

Draco kissed him then, and Blaise could do nothing but return the favor.

(scene shift)

"Blaise."

Harry looked surprised to see Blaise in plain sight once more, reading a novel in the library.

"Harry," Blaise said back. He was caught off guard when instead of beginning to speak, Harry grabbed his sleeve.

"Let's go," Harry said seriously. Blaise didn't protest. He put the book back in his bag and followed Harry.

"Don't you have class, Harry?"

"Yes." And that was all Harry said about it.

So Harry dragged Blaise through various halls of the castle, and seemed to focus very hard on getting to their destination. It was only on the seventh floor, after many pesky staircases, that they went through a door that Blaise had never remembered seeing before. When Harry opened it, still pulling Blaise behind him, the Slytherin knew immediately that the room wasn't a typical classroom. There was a wooden table in the middle of it, which stood on carpeted floor. There was a couch in the room as well, and the walls—which held nothing on them—were black. Candles were floating everywhere, lending ominous lighting to the room.

"What is this place? I've never been here before, Harry," Blaise said calmly.

"Room of Requirement," Harry mumbled. "I'll explain later. I needed to talk to you."

"We could have talked in the library."

"Without Malfoy tailing you."

"…I see you've noticed that."

"I've noticed a lot of things, Blaise."

"Like…?"

"The fact that you've slept with most of the school."

"Only just now? You are impossibly slow." Blaise was attempting to stay calm. Harry was approaching a dangerous line, a line that Blaise did not want crossed.

"No, Blaise. You are…an extremely nice person," Harry continued. "And that's why no one seems to care about your motives."

"Let's not forget the horny people," Blaise threw in. Harry blushed slightly, then frowned.

"Blaise. You're hiding something. You fight with Malfoy all of the time. And yet you still stand by him. There's a reason for that, and I want you to tell me."

"I'm his friend, Harry."

"No, you're not," Harry paused. "I said you on the grounds today at lunch."

Blaise looked away, trying to construct a response. "I—"

"Are you in love with Malfoy?"

Blaise's eyes widened. "No! Why would I ever?"

"…it makes sense! You hang around with Malfoy all the time. You put up with him."

Blaise blinked. And then he broke into laughter. It lasted several minutes, and he ended up wiping tears from his eyes afterwards. "Harry…don't suggest that again." Blaise stopped, and for a moment his expression turned dark. "In all honesty, Harry, I hate Draco. More than you can ever know. He deliberately uses me, and I'll never forgive him." Then, Blaise smiled a sad smile that reached his eyes. He wanted his eyes to show Harry that he was telling the truth.

In spite of this, Harry looked more confused than ever. "Then what happened when you stood me up for Draco? What was all that about?"

"Harry," Blaise said. "You're just like Draco. You both pry." And with that, the Slytherin turned to leave.

"I don't pry," Harry said stubbornly, shuffling to the door to bar Blaise's path. "How is Draco using you?"

"Harry. This isn't any of your business."

"I know that. But I still want to help you."

"There is nothing you can do." It became harder to keep telling Harry to leave him alone. Blaise could see the concern in Harry's eyes, and another feeling that Blaise himself would not name. "I'll solve this myself."

"That's working well, obviously," Harry snapped. "I've watched Malfoy bully and use people my entire time at Hogwarts. You helped me, Blaise, and I'm not going to sit here and watch you crumble without doing something about it. You have all the answers, Blaise, but I can't help you unless you tell me!"

"Maybe I don't want your help," Blaise said coldly. "Move."

"Blaise—"

"If you don't move, Harry, I'm going to hex you."

Harry looked surprised and shocked at Blaise's tone.

Wearily, and with a sight, Harry moved from the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Nine:**

Hermione had known something was wrong ever since Harry had begun "hanging out" with Blaise. Harry had never even _almost_ contemplated having sex with anyone just because, and it was peculiar that his "relationship" with Blaise began without a thought, straight out of the blue.

She wanted to know why.

Having failed at questioning Blaise, she went to the next best source, or one of them.

It was some divine miracle that she was able to find Dean Thomas by himself in the Common Room right after dinner. She had expected to have to lure him away from a crowd, but no one else was with him.

"Dean," she said to him seriously.

Dean, who had been drinking a Butterbeer while on one of the couches, said, "Hello, 'Mione. Isn't dinner still on?"

Deciding that dean wasn't drunk (yet), Hermione asked outright, "You slept with Blaise, didn't you?"

Dean coughed, sending several drops of Butterbeer into the fireplace. "What?" A resounding sizzle echoed his words.

"Don't deny it, Dean; I saw your face when you heard about Harry."

Dean blushed, and looked around, as if someone was listening to them. Although she was sure anyone else there had something better to do, she too found herself looking around.

"Yeah…what…about it?" Dean whispered tentatively, with a tinge of guilt.

"…I…I want to know why. Why did you sleep with Blaise?"

Since it was Hermione after all, Dean risked the effect of a joke. "Which time? Heh Heh…well, it was after I was dumped by Padma…he just kinda…appeared, like he usually does."

"I know."

"It just…happened." His blush reddened. "Between you and me, I'd-um-probably…still be with him had he not been with—"

"All those other people."

"Yeah…even though he's a Slytherin, he really is a good person. Knows exactly what to tell you when you're down. In fact, he always knows what to say…"

"What would you do…if Blaise wanted to get together?"

Dean blushed deeper, but shook his head. "Why're you all, y'know, asking all these questions?"

Hermione tried to think up a logical reason. "Well…I wanted to know what he was really like, you know…" she shifted uncomfortable, "since he's with Harry and all…"

Dean bought it. "Don't worry. If Harry needs a pick-me-up, Blaise is really good at that. He's a good friend." He looked at Hermione pointedly. "He's just good to have around."

Seamus Finnigan said the same thing, and Hermione got more than she bargained for when Katie Bell and even some fifth year she didn't know joined the conversation. And all of them came to the same conclusion. Despite not having a permanent relationship with him, Blaise was a great person. Hermione just couldn't behave it. It was impossible.

Just who the hell was Blaise?

(scene shift)

Damn. Blaise had never thought he would be pissed at both Harry and Draco at the same time! Just what the hell was wrong with everyone?

_Well,_ he thought dryly,_ that's at least one question you can answer. Draco's jealous and absolutely sinister, Harry is trying to be a friend and going about it the wrong way, and Hermione's becoming curious, which is probably why she hasn't brought me that stupid paper yet!_

"Dammit, I need a good shag," he muttered. Then he looked around suddenly, eyes resting on a shadowy corner of the hallway.

"I'm up for it," said a voice, and Blaise frowned. Draco.

"Why do you keep following me.?"

"Because I can. It's fun to watch you be upset, too. It's not every day that you have your own emotions."

"Bugger off."

"Perhaps I won't."

Blaise paused again, and was silent as Hermione Granger rounded the corner to the hall. She jumped when she saw him.

"Blaise! I—"

"Go away," Blaise snapped. "Get out of my sight, you filthy Mudblood!"

Hermione jumped again at the anger his voice held; she had never heard him sound that way before, though, so Blaise wasn't surprised. But she was obedient and left the hall quickly.

Blaise turned back to Draco. "Leave me alone!" he hissed. "I don't want you here! In fifteen minutes we have that Astronomy quiz up in the Tower. Bother me then."

"I'll bug you whenever I please. I own you."

"I don't belong to anyone!"

"Oh, you don't? I suppose you don't care if I tell particular people your secret, either do you? So they can take advantage of you, use you?"

"You already use me!"

"But it could be worse, couldn't it, Blaise? It could be like it was when you were a child…"

"I told you that in confidence, Draco. I told you that as my friend. I never thought you'd use it like this. You're a heartless bastard."

As Blaise turned to leave, Draco's lips twisted to form a smile.

"You're only upset because it's true; you're mine, Blaise. You belong to me, and there's nothing you can do about it."

(scene shift)

Blaise didn't show up to any of his next classes the next day, or the next after that, and Harry was seriously worried.

And in Potions that morning, two days after Blaise had stopped attending class, Harry had the chance to see the wicked, smug smile on Draco's face, the same one that Blaise had seen before. And then Harry knew, without doubt—

Whatever had happened to Blaise was Draco's fault.

_What did you do to Blaise, you bastard?!_

(scene shift)

Hermione was trying so badly to get Harry's attention. After asking person after person about Blaise, she had known _something_ was in the works. Everyone she asked—even those in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff—all ended up with the same, uniform conclusion that Blaise was a wonderful person to have around. Apparently, Blaise was a miracle worker; he had made them all a bit happier, even if they couldn't continue a real relationship with him. He was a "real friend".

She had been cross-referencing in the library, seeing if some sort of pleasure charm could have been involved with Blaise. Finding nothing that made logical sense, she left—

Only to overhear a spat between Blaise and Malfoy.

_"Why do you keep following me?"_

_"Because I can. It's fun to watch you be upset, too. It's not every day you have your _own_ emotions."_

It was that comment that did it. Even after Blaise yelled at her, she was happy one the inside. She recognized it immediately, and felt stupid for not considering it before. Blaise managed to please all of his lovers, no matter what background, no matter what traumatic events they'd gone through. It made sense. It also put together the pieces of the reason why Harry would sleep with Blaise _voluntarily_.

But Harry's eyes were somewhere else—on Blaise's empty seat.

She glanced at Snape, who was grading papers on his desk.

"Harry," she whispered. Harry either did not hear or not acknowledging her voice. "I'm sorry, she said, her voice sad. "But have to tell you something important about Blaise. Please, Har—"

Harry had turned to look at her, and she stopped speaking. There was a sad look in her fellow Gryffindor's eyes, that familiar look he'd always gotten when he had tried to help someone and failed. That same look Harry had worn when he told her he had watched Cedric Diggory die in fourth year. The same look he had worn when he saw Sirius fall through that horrid veil only a year after.

Hermione swallowed, found her voice, and continued.

"…I know about Blaise. I know his secret."


	10. Chapter 10

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Ten:**

Harry's eyes widened in shock. Hermione knew? Hermione _knew_?

He sighed. Ron gave him a confused look from his place opposite Hermione, on Harry's other side. Harry shook his head, noticing that Snape chose just then to lock his eyes on him.

He would just have to deal with Hermione after class.

Harry locked eyes with Snape so that Ron and Hermione would notice that they were being watched. He glared at Snape for a moment, and then looked down, pretending to work.

The only thing on his mind was Blaise.

(scene shift)

Draco's smile did not falter. He knew that Harry suspected him as a cause for Blaise's disappearance, and relished it.

Hermione had begun to whisper something to Harry, probably to tell him to calm down.

But even Draco had not suspected Blaise would skip class. Despite having to find him, Draco was elated. Blaise would only avoid him for a while; there would be no mistake later, for at least now Draco knew that nothing could keep Blaise from his grasp. Nothing.

Not even Harry Potter.

(scene shift)

As soon as class ended, Hermione told Ron to go onto class without her or Harry.

"Why?"

"There's something we have to take care of Ron; something important."

Ron hesitated.

"Please, Ron?"

Ron looked at Harry's face, saw the sad expression, and nodded. "…okay." He sauntered over to the end of the hall, glancing back at his two friends before turning a corner.

Harry turned hastily to Hermione. "You know?"

Hermione nodded. "Blaise is—"

Harry's head turned from her, his eyes locking themselves on Draco, who—as always—was the last one to exit the Potions classroom.

"Potter," he said shortly, ignoring Hermione. He left quickly.

When he was out of earshot, Harry hissed, "He's going to look for Blaise!"

"Calm down, Harry; you don't know the half of it!" Hermione told him about the conversation that she overheard.

"Bastard," Harry muttered. "But that doesn't explain anything."

"I was such an idiot! I never saw it before!"

"Hermione…I don't get it."

"Harry…Blaise…he's an empathy."

Harry took a leaf from Blaise's book, and blinked. Twice. "What?"

"An Empath! Harry, it all makes sense! How Blaise was able to please all of those people, how he was able to get _you_—"

"I went willingly with Blaise," Harry said defensively.

"I mean—" Hermione sighed. "It also explains why Draco has so much of a hold over Blaise…everything's connected! How can you hate someone who always understands how you feel?"

Harry shook his head. "…how?"

Hermione huffed. "Harry! Must you be so thick? Blaise is an _empath. Empaths_ can feel the emotions of other people. Harry, if he can read your emotions, of course he knows how to respond to you, how to make you feel better. And if he's an empath, he can be overwhelmed by other people's emotion, even controlled by them!"

Harry's expression darkened. "That's how Draco's using him."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Harry. Now we have to find Blaise!" she paused. "This…will be tricky. Blaise will sense our emotions and know we're near. He'll move to avoid us. And with our particular emotions towards him right now…he'll recognize us immediately."

"That's how he can find—"

"All of us without looking. Yes, Harry. I've figured that out. We need to find a way to conceal how we feel. Or get rid of them all together. I found a—"

"No," Harry said solemnly. "We'll just…look for him."

"Harry…"

"Blaise and I have been keeping secrets since day one, and I want him to know that I'm there to help him. If I go look for him, I want him to know what I'm doing. I want him to know how I feel, so I can be a friend. Or at least try to be as good a friend as he was to me."

Hermione was outraged. Harry didn't understand the meaning of any of this at all. "Harry! You don't know what you're getting yourself into! Don't you get it? All the tenderness, the kindness, everything that he did for you; it was all done on the basis of how _you_ felt. He only tells you what you_ want_ to hear, does what you _want_ him to do! He doesn't mean any of it!"

"If he didn't mean any of it, he wouldn't have done it."

"Harry, you don't—"

"Hermione, thanks for helping me. But…thanks," Harry shook her hand happily and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll find him." Then he ran down the hall.

"Harry—" Hermione called, but he was gone.

(scene shift)

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…Blaise, I know you're here."

Draco had gone to the only logical place Blaise would; outside, to the pen full of Thestrals.

Despite not being able to see them, Blaise got along marvelously with the creatures. It was the only place that offered him comfort. Draco knew this.

"Blaise," Draco said, his voice becoming serious, "Harry is wondering where you are."

Nothing.

"Blaise. If I must find you, I—"

"Fuck you and fuck Harry," Blaise said suddenly, from far away. Draco smiled.

"Haven't you already done that?"

Silence.

"Blaise. I know you can feel me. Do you want me to come and get you? The Thestrals…cannot hide you forever. I'll wait all day if I have to. You know I will." A pause. "I was actually surprised that you disappeared for two days. Were you here the whole time? How did you eat?"

"What the hell do you want from me?" Yes. Blaise's voice was far off; he had to be near the back of the pen.

Draco sighed. "I just want you to promise me you'll be back in Slytherin Dungeons after dinner. That's all. You keep _all_ your promises, don't you Blaise?"

"…"

"Blaise…you honestly surprised me when you didn't show. Snape seemed a bit shaken, not to mention the Gryffindors. I want you to leave here before Potter finds you. Go to the Common Room. Relax. Take a load off."

"Why? So you can add another one?"

"I will come get you if you don't stop speaking like that."

"I'll go in a moment."

"I'll walk you in on my way to History."

"I…I'll go in a moment."

Draco mounted the fence that constructed the pen. It was a rather large space, but Draco could see Blaise, huddled in the back, once he stood atop the gate. He didn't really believe Blaise; if he left things up to the other Slytherin Draco wouldn't see him for a week.

"I'm coming for you, Blaise."

"I know."

The Thestrals seemed to clear from Draco's path as he moved towards the back. He walked straight through his line of sight, and after a few moments of traveling he found himself in front of Blaise indirectly, for he was sitting behind the largest Thestral of them all. It was the only one that did not budge.

"Trained it, eh?" Draco said good-naturedly.

"…no."

"Then tell it to move."

"…no."

"Blaise. Must we go through this again—"

"Malfoy!" sounded a voice from above them, and both Draco and Blaise looked up to see Harry, astride his broomstick, looking back down at them.

* * *

A/N: Yep. That's my explanation for Blaise's whore-mongering. Empathy. It's not really that bad a reason, and in the world of Harry Potter, if conforms to their rules of magic. You'll see later that Blaise's magic works both ways. I kinda wish I knew someone like the Blaise in this story; someone who understood my emotions implicitly. It's nice to have someone who knows how you feel without the need for all those words—words can be confusing to some people in terms of relationships—and emotions hold feelings that a lot of people don't want to talk about out loud.

Anyway, I think this is shaping up to be a pretty good fic. I didn't like this after I wrote it, but I have to admit that it's a nice simple story.


	11. Chapter 11

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Eleven:**

Harry practically ran to Gryffindor Tower. He had gotten the idea when Hermione was talking about Blaise tracking other people's emotions.

Somehow, Harry didn't think Blaise one to hide in a building holding thousands of students (though he did check 'their room' on the way up). So, he would start looking outside.

He needed a way that Malfoy wouldn't see at first. And that, of course, was his specialty.

Harry pushed past the Fat Lady, muttering the password so intelligibly that it could have been mistaken for Parseltongue. He ran to his room, to the familiar four poster bed, and rummaged through his trunk.

He was lucky. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," barely came from his mouth when he saw Draco exiting the school, heading towards Hagrid's Pumpkin patch, and past it, to a pen…

"Mischief Managed," he spat just as quickly, before stuffing the map back into his trunk and grabbing his broom. He had to search only a second longer than before finding his Invisibility Cloak.

"Damn," he murmured, covering himself and his broom with it. He wasn't going to risk being spotted by a teacher who knew his schedule or at least one that knew he didn't have a free class.

He tried his best to move quickly but quietly, though even he himself could not figure out how he made it to the door.

Once outside, Harry put the Invisibility Cloak in the only safe place he knew; behind Hagrid's hut. Draco was no where around at this time, so he wasn't too worried about anything happening to it. If Draco knew where Blaise was, and that was indeed outside, then Blaise would already know they were both there.

Then he mounted his broom, taking off immediately. When he had risen high enough, Harry could see Draco clearly, at the edge of a pen of Thestrals. He could also see someone else inside the pen, who he assumed was Blaise. He was too high up to hear what they were saying—if they were talking at all, Harry couldn't tell.

But when Draco began plowing through Thestrals, Harry decided to do something before he took advantage of Blaise again.

"Malfoy!" he yelled as he dived closer to them. Draco did not look happy. The Slytherin scowled. Blaise ignored Harry's arrival entirely, aside from looking in his direction.

"What are you doing here?"Draco snarled. "Do you have another fat ass's Remembrall to catch?"

Harry glared. "No, you grubby thief. I don't want to leave Blaise alone with you." Harry dismounted. He stroked the mane of the Thestral barring Draco from Blaise.

"Hello there!" Harry said happily, to the Thestral. It was the same Thestral that he had flown on in his fifth year. Then he turned to Blaise. "Is he being mean to you?"

When Blaise answered with a small smile and a, "no", Draco practically in anger.

"This has nothing to do with you! SOD OFF!!"

Harry ignored him, which made Blaise chuckle.

"We're good friends," Harry continued, still stroking the creature's wispy mane. "He took me to the Ministry of Magic." Harry had never thought he would ever be mentioning that incident fondly, but Blaise seemed to like that particular Thestral, and it was at least giving Blaise a distraction from Draco.

"Yes, we've all heard of your escapade last year," Draco began.

"I haven't," Blaise said with a wicked smile.

"Nonetheless, Blaise, Harry's leaving," Draco whipped out his wand. "I'll see to it. _Expelliarmus_!"

Though the wand was not in his hand, Harry's wand still jerked wildly in his pocket, and the Gryffindor had to grip it with both hands to keep it from tearing a hole in his robes. He pulled it free, but the force left in Draco's spell still ripped the wand from Harry's grasp.

"I meant it," Draco added.

"Leave him alone, Draco," Harry said again.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Are you so much of a dunce that you don't know when you're beaten? You have no wand; I do. Just go before you get mixed up in something that doesn't concern you. I don't want to be expelled for your idiocy."

"Too late," Harry said with a sad smile that he directed towards Blaise, who didn't seem surprised.

Draco, however, pointed his wand again at Harry, narrowing his eyes. "I hate you, Potter, and it will be a pleasure for me to do you in. A memory charm should do the trick shouldn't it?"

"_Expelliarmus_!

Draco's wand flew away, and the Thestral blocking Blaise from the other Slytherin's view fled towards it. Harry smiled, and he rooted Blaise on in his mind.

Draco's expression softened as he looked upon Blaise, whose wand was indeed upraised. Harry scrambled for his own, knowing that Draco was helpless.

But to Harry's surprise, Blaise backed away from Draco as the blond-haired boy approached him.

"Blaise…" Draco was purring softly. The sound was horrid to Harry's ears. "Come here. You _know_ I'm not going to hurt you."

Blaise looked at Draco with hurt eyes, as tough he had been stabbed. But the look only lasted a moment, for after that Draco leaped across the distance between them, landing right in front of Blaise. Draco reached out tenderly, and without hesitation, Blaise lowered his wand.

Immediately, Harry knew what was happening. "Blaise! He's manipulating you! Don't let him!"

Draco laughed, pulling Blaise into a passionate kiss. "I told you, Potter; he belongs to me. If I wanted you dead badly enough, he'd kill you for me. Without hesitation."

Blaise pocketed his own wand, his hands hanging from Draco's neck.

"Is that all you can do?" Harry said furiously, "Take advantage of a friend?"

"You love me, don't you Blaise?' Draco said, and flashed a wicked smile at Harry. Blaise kissed Draco again.

"Stop doing that to him!"

"Doing what to him? The same thing that over half the school has done? They've all exploited him, used him, claimed him for their own. Even you, Harry."

_"Don't you understand!? All the tenderness, the kindness, everything he did for you; it was all done on the basis of how_ you_ felt!"_

Harry bowed his head as he remembered Hermione's words. "I know," he said, "But at least he wanted that! What he did was his own business; everyone deserves to live their lives the way they want! Just because Blaise is an empath doesn't mean that he's an exception!"

"What would you do Potter…" Draco said thoughtfully, "if _your_ closest friend because nothing short of a common whore for no apparent reason?"

"I wouldn't treat him like this!"

Blaise had seemed to regain some of his emotional strength, and attempted to pull himself from Draco, but the blonde gripped him with more force than necessary to help Blaise in his vicinity.

"…you…bastard…" Blaise muttered weakly.

"Actually, Blaise," Draco said accusingly, "_You're_ the bastard, aren't you?"

Harry couldn't take this. "_Locomotor Mortis!_"

In spite of himself, he had given Draco a chance—and of course the Slytherin had squandered it.

Draco snatched Blaise's wand from the boy's pocket. "_Finite Incantatem!_"

Harry's spell stayed suspended in the air for a moment, and then disappeared. Harry's eyes widened.

"Yes, Potter—I did pay attention during Lupin's class." Draco smirked.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" sounded a voice from behind Draco. The Slytherin let of Blaise for the second it took for him to turn and see Hermione before he was hit.

It was the spitting image of what had happened to Neville in their first year. Draco's arms and legs locked together, though he kept from tipping over.

Hermione was huffing, exhausted when she reached Harry.

He had never been so happy to see her.

* * *

A/N: Whoo…! In defense for the 'Finite Incantatem', I thought it would be interesting to see a spell stopped before it hit. My friends say that it was clever, but I don't know…I wanted to use a real Latin word, but, I didn't want to take away from the story by making up my own spells. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Twelve:**

"H-Harry…how…did you find them…so fast?" Hermione was panting, and Harry let her lean on him.

"I flew," he said simply questioning to his broom. Then he looked at Blaise.

The Slytherin blinked at them, and looked away.

Harry turned to leave. "How long'll the spell hold him, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled wearily. "I think at least twenty minutes. I'm not sure how much force I put into it…" she turned to leave as well.

_Thud._

Harry turned to the sound only to see Blaise on his knees. His hands were supporting his upper body, but both Gryffindors could see him shaking. Harry reached out with a steady arm.

"Do you want some help, Blaise?" Harry asked.

(scene shift)

When Harry asked that question, Blaise looked up at him with wide eyes. No one had ever asked to help _him_ before. Blaise had never needed anyone's help, and he could honestly say that he did not like being helpless.

However still, something in him snapped, and he took Harry's hand. Harry helped him up, and Blaise almost unconsciously leaned upon Harry's shoulder upon standing. Being overwhelmed by someone's emotions was a magic of its own, and Blaise did not have the strength to do anything by himself at the moment.

"Where will we go?" Hermione mouthed to Harry, and Blaise could feel her concern.

Blaise closed his eyes of exhaustion; he had tried so hard to fight Draco's influence, but it had been energy spent on futile ventures.

Something in his gut said, _trust Harry._ And Blaise, too weary to fight Harry—not to mention himself—he settled with his own instinct. He was strangely elated. He had his own voice inside, and now just someone else's emotions. They were his.

And Harry had been the one to give them to him.

…he was so tired. And despite knowing the hold that Draco would always have over him, he began to feel better and better as Harry helped him back to the building. Harry continually glanced expressionlessly at Blaise, and the Slytherin's heart sank, confirming the feelings from Harry that he could already sense.

_…Poor Harry. He really is in love with me…_

"Where are we going?" Hermione repeated.

Harry turned to her with a serious look. "Herm, I need you to take this—" he handed her his broom, "—and my cloak and map. They're in the bushes behind Hagrid's hut. I took your advice after all."

Hermione nodded, looking distressed but obedient at the same time. Blaise could tell that she wanted to say something about leaving Harry with the Slytherin alone, but she held her tongue. Blaise sighed as she headed towards the hut without hesitation.

(scene shift)

As the two boys entered the castle, Harry took Blaise to the only place he knew was completely quiet, confidential, and not a trek up the many stairs that the school was home to: their room on the first floor. But as they arrived, harry thought about it—what about it made it their room? Blaise could have brought any number of people into that room besides himself. Harry looked at Blaise again as the Gryffindor helped the Slytherin onto a desk.

Despite denying it, Harry could not help but admit—at least to himself—that he _had_ wanted Blaise to himself. And he knew how selfish he was, how had taken advantage of Blaise just as everyone else had—just like Draco said—and now, in part, he was like Draco without knowing it. He had helped to cause the problem; he made the decision to get involved with—

"Don't beat yourself up, Harry," Blaise said faintly.

Harry sighed. _Right. He knows how I feel._ "I deserve it. I should have seen it before."

"If you had, I would be a disgrace. I hid it pretty well, don't you think?"

Harry said nothing. But he stared at Blaise intently, still afraid that something would happen to him.

Blaise closed his eyes. "Of course, Draco already knows. The only thing that matter to him, though, is that I can be manipulated by him—"

"You don't have to tell me this, Blaise," Harry interrupted. He did not want to take advantage of Blaise any longer. Not while he could consciously stop it.

"But I want to," Blaise smiled. "I want to. You of all people deserve to know. I've pushed you away long enough. You've made it perfectly clear that I can't stop you." A pause, and Blaise licked his lips. "Being an empath is horrible, Harry. Feeling the emotions of everyone around you in any given place is like walking around in constant hell. You cannot possibly imagine it. Those happy, angry, envious, jealous, dreadful people. They are the ones you can't ignore, Harry. Those are ones who truly deserve pity. They are ones that, when I feel their pain, even _I_ want to commit suicide."

Harry cringed visibly.

"Don't be upset, Harry…everyone I've slept with has been in that state of emotion. Yes, Harry, even you.

Harry looked alarmed. "Blaise, I've never wanted—"

"—to kill yourself? Maybe so, but…that's how sad you were. Perhaps _you_ could handle that emotion, but I can't. It makes _me_ want to kill _myself_. Not you."

"Blaise…"

"Remember what I told you? Remember when you felt so trapped and alone, and every weight above your head seemed to fall, Harry? I felt it. That was the most horrible pain I've ever experienced. Emotionally, of course. It makes me wonder what those weights are over your head, Harry, it really does." A thoughtful pause. "…Your pain, Harry. It almost drove me insane. I didn't only feel like hurting myself; I wanted to destroy every being on this planet and take myself with them. Have you ever felt like _that_, Harry?"

Harry didn't want to admit it. "…yes."

Blaise still smiled. "Harry. I wanted to make you feel better so badly, like the others. But I don't think I succeeded. I think I just covered it up for you, so you couldn't see it; I think it's still there, whatever it is."

That statement hit Harry like a ton of bricks. "You mean…you slept with all those people—"

"To boost their confidence, to listen and understand their secrets, in short, to help them? Yes. It had been the same thing with Draco, too, but you see where that went…"

"Blaise…"

"When I was young, I knew early that…I was an illegitimate child—my mother's love for my father was extremely lacking—just as they knew very early that I was an empath. My parents had gotten together on the basis of an arranged marriage. My mother, apparently, was feeling bitter. When I was eight, a few years before I got my first letter from Hogwarts, I found that something was out of the ordinary—there was a surprising amount of happiness and love was exuding from my father…as you can probably guess from here, none of it was directed towards my mother at all." He paused. "One day, I gazed at my father, and through a piece of loosely used Occlumency he knew that I knew. He beat me in hopes that I wouldn't tell my mother. In fact, it had the opposite effect, and I told my mother. Instead of harboring anger towards him, however, she hit me too Harry, for not telling her sooner; for not seeing it coming so that she could have stopped it."

Harry felt like he was going to be violently sick. "That's…that's so horrible." He had never heard of anything so appalling since the story of Neville's parents.

"Draco knows all this, too. We used to be friends…" Blaise shook his head. "And after…that experience with my parents, my pain became something I never wanted anyone else to feel. And that," he added sarcastically, "has shaped me into the man I am today. Interesting, isn't it?"

"It's sad," Harry said. "Worse than the Dursleys for sure…"

"No," Blaise said. "The truly sad thing is that deep down, I know that Draco loves me. But at the same time, he wants to use me. It's a shame. It's what made me submit to him before…I felt sorry for him." He shrugged. "Not that I would have been able to refuse him; I mean…"

Harry didn't know what to say to that. "Blaise…"

"What?" The Slytherin replied softly.

"…"

"You shouldn't call someone's name for no reason, Harry." Blaise lowered himself from the desk.

"So…" Harry found his thoughts quickly. Blaise was leaving already? "You're just going to go back to the way things are?"

Blaise shrugged again. "…what else am I supposed to do? The only person who hurt me was Draco. He might back off for a little while, but…really; nothing's changed, except Draco's angrier now." Blaise smiled. "But it was nice to find out that I could count on you, Harry. You truly are a unique person."

Blaise made his way to the door, and he looked like he could make it on his own.

"Harry…" he called calmly.

"Yes?"

"You…don't want things to be the same, do you?"

"Of course I don't," Harry said angrily. "No, I don't want you going back to being manipulated, or with you sleeping with the entire school, even if you do have good intentions! You don't deserve that!"

"What do I deserve then, Harry?" Blaise asked.

"Whatever you want. Other people shouldn't control you or what you do! If you sleep with someone, Blaise it _should_ be because you love them! Even…even I lost sight of that for a little while."

"Harry…"

"And I'm sorry about that. I didn't know anything about any of this, but I shouldn't have done anything with you without—"

_"Harry_."

"What?"

Blaise smiled. "I love you too, Harry."


	13. Chapter 13

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Thirteen:**

"Blaise."

"Draco."

"You're going to pay for that stunt of yours."

"I don't care." Blaise was strangely elated, and Draco didn't like his tone. "You deserved what you got. I'll take it."

In a second's time, Blaise was slammed into the nearest corridor wall. "How _dare_ you talk to me like that?"

"Draco," Blaise said calmly. "Please let go of me."

"I don't _have_ to, Blaise."

Blaise smiled. "I know you don't, Draco. But I'm asking. Please. I don't want to talk with you this way."

Draco gave Blaise a harsh stare, and Blaise could feel the waves of anger rippling from the other Slytherin. Blaise took a deep breath. Anger was an easy enough emotion to shake off, once you rationalized it…

Draco took two steps away from Blaise. Only two. "Don't treat me like a child, Blaise."

"When you behave like that, Draco, what else can I do?"

"Blaise," Draco hissed.

"Draco," Blaise said calmly. He still smiled. "I don't know if I did something in the past to bring the feelings you have to the surface…but I'm sorry if I did. But I don't appreciate the way you've been treating me recently, Draco. "There was a dangerous edge to his voice, one that he made sure Draco picked up.

"What are you going to do about that, Blaise?" Draco mimicked the edge Blaise's statement had.

However, Blaise remained calm. "Whatever I can."

"Potter may have rescued you last time; I don't know what's been going on between you and Harry, but I want it to stop. I'm the only constant thing in your life, Blaise. Sever whatever ties you have to Harry Potter the next time you see him."

"Draco. I can't do that."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"…I love Harry, Draco. I can't just drop him. He's still waiting for me to pull him up from the cliff of despair."

Blaise found himself against the wall again.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Draco." Blaise looked away.

Instead of becoming angrier, Draco smiled. "You don't love Harry…"

It was then that Blaise felt the first quiver of Draco's lust in his own soul. He closed his eyes, tried to ignore it.

"Yes…yes I do…Draco." Lust was a very strong emotion.

"You don't love Harry," Draco said again, this time planting a kiss on Blaise's jaw. Blaise felt Draco, knew that he was gaining the power to control him. "N-no, Draco, stop." He tried to push away, but pale fingers held his own still.

"You love me, Blaise, don't you?" Draco said in a husky voice, pressing his lips lightly on Blaise's own. The lust from Draco fell like a veil over Blaise's eyes, and there was nothing but Draco, whose soul begged for Blaise's kisses.

"Yes," Blaise said without hesitation, for it was what Draco's lust wanted to hear. There was a whisper in Blaise soul, one single voice against the overpowering lust that said, 'no', he paid it no attention, for the lust had ignored it. There was only Draco. Who had ever heard of anyone else?

Draco's hungry lips continued to ravage Blaise.

(scene shift)

"Where did you two go yesterday?" Ron inquired. It was dinner time, and the infamous trio was sitting beside one another, Harry in the middle.

Hermione shot Ron a glance that said, 'Can't you ask about that later? Look at Harry!'

Indeed, Harry was steady moving his mashed potatoes from one side of his plate into the other and back again, ignoring even the obvious conversation going on between his two best friends.

_Blaise…loves me?_

In fact, Harry was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that neither Blaise nor Draco had attended dinner.

(scene shift)

Hermione, however, noted the absence and was worried about it. Was Draco enacting his retribution upon Blaise? If he was, would Blaise even tell them, or simply take it without a word?

Blaise made everything so much more complicated.

Hermione sighed. She wouldn't dare mention Blaise's absence to Harry at that moment. She didn't know how he would react.

(scene shift)

And at that moment, Draco had, in fact, completed his retribution—which was in the form of Blaise lying next to him in his bed, shudders racking his spine.

"Isn't it convenient that Prefects have their own rooms?" Draco said lazily. "I normally don't use mine, but…this case was an exception, hmm?"

Draco lust no longer overpowering him, Blaise said nothing.

"Blaise?"

"I'm leaving, Draco," Blaise said, as though the occurrence of Draco taking advantage of him in this way was normal—and it was.

Draco didn't bother trying to stop him, but said, as though to mock him, "Do as you please, Blaise."

And Blaise laughed at this joke, just as Draco knew he would. "Draco, you would never let me stray that far, not enough to 'do as I please'. We both know that."

Draco smiled. "It's only because I love you so, Blaise."

Blaise frowned. "I know," he said quietly. Then, as reinforcement, he repeated, "I'm leaving."

"Really?" Draco said this time. "You're leaving me?"

Blaise gathered his clothes, dressing quickly while heading to the door.

Draco pouted. "You rush as though you're afraid of me."

Blaise met Draco's eyes. "On some level, Draco, I am."

Draco wanted to smile, but suddenly could not find the energy to. He groped for words that would not be found before Blaise had finished dressing.

"Blaise…"Draco replied.

Draco still had not found the words.

"…like I told Harry, Draco; You shouldn't call someone's name for no reason." And with that, he left the room.

A second's pause, then, "Goddammit, Potter!"

(scene shift)

Harry couldn't sleep. Not with Blaise's words echoing in his head.

"_I love you, too, Harry._"

Surely Blaise hadn't meant that. There was no way that Blaise could have meant that he loved Harry. He was Blaise Zabini. He had never loved anyone seriously.

_"I love you, too, Harry."_

And how could Blaise assert himself enough to say, 'too'? Harry had never said that he loved Blaise. He wasn't in love with Blaise. What could make Blaise think that?

_Maybe it's because he is, you know, an empath, you dumbass,_ said a particularly sarcastic subconscious voice.

Harry pushed the voice aside. Even if Blaise _was_ an empath, Harry knew his own feelings better than anyone, right?

Right?

* * *

A/N: I really, really hate Draco. I decided to make him mean for this fic, and it's strange, because I normally love Draco so much. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

For the next two days, despite the uncertainty raging inside of him, Harry unconsciously stuck by Blaise as much as possible. He had seen the perils of Blaise being controlled by Draco already, and he didn't want Blaise falling under Draco's influence again.

Following Blaise began accidentally, when Harry had been on his way to Potions. He had been late getting up, and had even missed breakfast; Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found.

And, just his luck, as he rounded a corner in the dungeons, he could see Draco and Blaise talking.

Blaise had already sensed him coming, Harry realized as their eyes met; Blaise had obviously been looking his direction for some time.

Draco scowled, but seemed to hold his tongue in term of Harry because of Blaise's presence. Harry could only imagine the thoughts and plans running through Draco's head, plots of revenge and everything else under the blue moon. But Harry was so worried about Blaise that none of that was of concern to him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Draco snarled. "And tell your little Mudblood friend to look out, because revenge is a bitch!"

"Draco," Blaise said warningly, and Draco stalked off. Blaise turned back to Harry with a pleasant smile. "Hello, Harry."

"Was Draco bothering you?" Harry asked tentatively; he didn't feel very comfortable being alone with Blaise anymore; how could Blaise behave as though he hadn't said what he'd said?

"…I suppose so," Blaise said uncertainly. "You get used to it after a while."

Harry couldn't help but feel the pity bubble to the surface.

Blaise frowned suddenly, looking away, and Harry knew it was because of that pity. For the first time between them, there was an awkward silence, one that Harry found strangely natural.

"We should hurry," Harry said, beginning to walk again. "We'll be late for Potions."

With that statement, a smirk reappeared on Blaise's features. "Or maybe we shouldn't go."

"What?"

"We shouldn't go." Blaise had resumed walking as well.

"To Potions? Snape'll kill us." He paused. "Snape'll kill _me_, at least. I can't afford to miss this class."

"What class _can_ you afford to miss, then?"

"_None_ of them! You shouldn't be _ditching_ classes at all!"

"You sound like Granger. Next class, then. You have Defense Against the Dark Arts, no? I have Care of Magical Creatures. We're ditching."

It was then that they reached Snape's classroom. Blaise opened the door before holding it open for Harry, and sent a wink towards the Potions Master.

Harry's mouth gaped, a protest already poised on his lips, when he noticed that Snape didn't look even remotely like he was going to snap or take points from either of them.

_My god…_

(scene shift)

Draco swore. Where in the hell was Blaise? Care of Magical Creatures had begun all of twenty minutes ago, and Blaise hadn't yet arrived. Hagrid had noticed as well, seeing as Blaise was one of the best students in the class, but the oaf had of course written the absence off as an 'emergency', or else, by his dimwitted logic, Blaise would have been there.

Draco, however, knew it was more than a simply absence, or even an emergency. He knew that Blaise had not gone to class on purpose. And through _his_ superior logic, it had to have something to do with Harry Potter.

(scene shift)

Harry laughed. He could not be having a better time. Immediately after Potions was dismissed, Blaise had taken him by the arm and pulled him from the classroom—to escape Draco, Hermione, and Ron all at once.

After making a short stop at the Slytherin Common Room, where Harry spent a very uncomfortable two minutes outside, they headed in the general direction of 'their classroom'.

On the way, they encountered Snape walking down the hall, who inquired as to why they were not in class. Harry, who had prepared to receive a detention, was impressed—and partially disgusted—as Blaise half talked, half flirted through an explanation of why they were in the corridor, late for class.

Snape's expression towards the end had given him away—while he accepted Blaise's excuse, he did not want to forgive Harry, who was a part of that explanation.

"Hurry to class, gentlemen," Snape said as he walked away. "And Potter—I don't want to see you in the halls after class begins again."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said obediently; despite the fact that he hated Snape, he was glad to have gotten through the encounter at all.

"See, Harry?" Blaise smiled. "I kept my promise."

"What?" Harry said, confused.

_"I'll cover for you if we're caught…"_

"Oh." Harry said quietly.

After that, they reached their destination without interruption.

"So," Harry ventured to ask. "What did you have to get from the dungeons?"

Blaise smiled, and pulled four bottles of Butterbeer from his schoolbag. "Draco and my connections keep Slytherin House in constant supply," he said proudly.

Harry thought of Fred and George briefly, smiling, and Blaise handed him a bottle.

"Now you can't have too much, Harry," Blaise said cautiously. "I don't want you stark drunk in your next class."

"I can handle myself," Harry said defensively.

Blaise smiled in response and opened his bottle with a small _pop_.

Silence ensued for the moment both boys took swigs of their Butterbeer. Harry could not remember the last time he had tasted that warm liquid. He savored it, and felt it settle in the bottom of his stomach.

And then, minutes later, the air felt warm, and he didn't think it was the Butterbeer. It was then that he looked at Blaise, and the Slytherin was smiling the most radiant smile Harry had ever seen on the boy's face. He put his Butterbeer bottle down on the table, slowly, while thinking,

_"He can be overwhelmed by people's emotions, even controlled by them!"_

Remembering Hermione's words, he wondered if it worked the other way, too. Was that why that gentle warmth was spreading around the room—because Blaise was happy?

"Blaise?" Harry said hesitantly.

At Harry's tone of voice, Blaise's smile faltered, but the warmth still clung to the air.

And Harry searched for the right words. "Does being here—with me—just…hanging out—does it make you…happy?"

Blaise seemed utterly surprised by this question, but blushed slightly and sheepishly nodded. "Is that…bad?"

Blaise's answering question bothered Harry. How could Blaise question the happiness of…happiness? Then he was struck with a horrifying thought: What if Blaise had never felt happiness of his own? Uninspired by other people?

Harry shook his head, to the idea and to Blaise's question. "No. It's almost never a bad thing when someone's genuinely happy. It's just…I can feel it."

Blaise placed his bottle down next to Harry's. "…feel what?"

Harry shrugged. "You're happy. I can feel it in the air. It's warm, and kind of…fuzzy, like Butterbeer when you drink it."

"…it does?" Blaise asked, looking around as though he was expecting to physically see it.

"It's kind of…nice. It's nice to know you can really be happy, Blaise."

Blaise paused, and then, "You really…care about what happens to me, don't you Harry?"

Harry answered this without hesitation. "Of course I do! How many times do I have to tell you that? I won't just sit here and let Malfoy manipulate you!"

"…thank you, Harry."

There was a silence, and a buildup of suspense within Harry, and when he couldn't stand it anymore, when all of his thoughts from the past few days had come rushing back, he blurted out, "Blaise, do you really love me?"

At his outburst, Blaise did not seem surprised at all, but he smiled, possibly with more depth than before, and his eyes sparkled.

"Yes," Blaise said, and the warmth in the room intensified—it did not get warmer, but all the same, the atmosphere was suddenly charged—with his words. "I do, Harry."

It was a simple answer, and Harry knew it was true.

Blaise's warmth still held the room captive, and Harry began to relax into it. He let the warmth swirl around him and settle into his skin. He felt wonderful on the inside, too, like he had no worries, no qualms with the world. It was just him and Blaise, and it was perfect.

"Blaise, I—"

"Quiet, Harry," sounded Blaise's voice from behind him. Wait. When did Blaise move? The question was left unanswered, but he didn't care; his mind felt sedated, and he knew suddenly that everything in the world, in his world, was going to be alright.

Except this one thing. He had to tell Blaise how he felt.

"But, Blaise—" Harry protested; what he had to say was important. What he had to say would really make everything better.

"No," Blaise interrupted. "Not now. Not this way. Tell me later. I'll listen then, I promise."

"Blaise—"

"I promise, Harry," Blaise's arms encircled around him from behind, and the Slytherin seated himself right behind Harry, his head resting on Harry's shoulder. "Just…be quiet for me right now, Harry."

The Gryffindor replied calmly, "Alright," but felt like he was bursting with joy on the inside. He couldn't ever remember being this happy. So he sat there, content to have Blaise's head on his shoulder, but still, there was something missing.

Harry wanted to tell Blaise he loved him, too.

* * *

A/N: I'm a sucker for good endings. I have to eventually do a story where the ending makes people sad. I haven't been able to grow the balls to do it. I had been considering making the final pairing Blaise/Draco, even as horrible as Draco's been to him, but I couldn't do it. I chickened out. I feel like, in this particular story, Blaise had gone through enough… 


	15. Chapter 15

**Velvet Persuasion**

**Chapter Fifteen:**

"Harry! I can't _believe_ you ditched Lupin's class. What is _wrong_ with you? Do you know how worried Ron and I were about you? Don't ever do that again! Where were you?"

Now on the way to Transfiguration, Hermione had seen Harry attempting to step inconspicuously around a corner, joining them as though nothing had happened.

"You are _so_ lucky Lupin trust you, Harry," Ron said. "He didn't even question us when we said you felt sick."

"Thanks, guys," Harry said quietly.

(scene shift)

"So, where were you?" Hermione questioned. It was after dinner now, near nine o'clock, and Hermione had cornered Harry near a window in the Common Room. "You've been avoiding the question all day."

Harry sighed happily as he gazed out of the window, determined to make the best of things since Hermione had trapped him there. The happiness that Blaise had filled him with that morning had not quelled at all, despite having had several frustrating classes and two curious friends hounding him about his whereabouts.

So Harry looked at Hermione, and told her, with a smile, about his small outing with Blaise. He told her everything, from the Butterbeer to the strange warmness that filled him even as he spoke.

Hermione did not look happy, even when he'd finished.

"Harry, do you realize what happened to you?" Hermione said, looking quite alarmed.

Harry stared thoughtfully out of the window. "I love him, Hermione," he said solemnly.

"WHAT?!"

Several people, including Ginny Weasley and Seamus Finnigan, who were playing Exploding Snap, looked in their direction. Hermione blushed slightly.

"Harry," she hissed. "You can't possibly!"

"…and he feels the same way."

"Harry! He does not! What did I tell you? He's only reacting to _your_—" she stopped herself from completing the thought.

Harry's smile widened. "See? Even if he's only reacting to me, which proves that _I_ love him, at the very least."

Hermione bit her lip. "Harry…"

(scene shift)

"Blaise."

"Yes, Draco?"

"You were with Potter today, weren't you?"

"Yes. I'm surprised you waited until now to ask."

Draco paused, then, "…I need a good shag."

"Don't look at me, Draco."

"Why not? You're the only beautiful thing in the room, besides me, of course."

"I mean it Draco; no."

"Why not? We all knew you've been screwing yourself dizzy with Potter the last few days." Draco said bitterly.

"I was not screwing anyone, Draco."

"Then why not? You've got to be pretty horny, then."

"…Draco. Everyone isn't like you. I said no."

"…Blaise…"

"Yes, Draco? Stop calling me."

"Why do you love Harry?"

Blaise smiled, and Draco felt like being sick. "Because he's Harry. He's thoughtful and caring and strong—I suppose the things I wish I could be."

"…why don't you love me instead?"

Blaise frowned. "Because you used me."

"I did not."

"Draco. You use me all the time. You use me yesterday."

"No, I did you a favor yesterday."

"You raped me!"

"You wanted it!"

"No, I didn't! You took advantage of me!" Blaise said loudly, and the other occupants of the Slytherin Common Room, whether they had heard or not, knew better than to make any sounds. Blaise continued. "I'll never forgive you for it, Draco, and I'll never love you again! My feelings, or lack of them, is not something to play with, Draco. You can't experiment with me anytime you want!"

"And I suppose that Harry realizes this?"

"Harry _knows_ that. He would never try to do that to me!"

"What if…I promised?"

"Draco, I don't know what's gotten into you, but no, Draco, I don't love you, and I won't love you, ever!"

Draco paused again. "I don't want to see you with Harry anymore."

"Is that what brought this on, Draco—?"

"I love you, Blaise."

"I know you do. But I don't feel that way. Not anymore."

"Blaise—"

"Look, I don't love you, okay!?"

"Goddamn it, Blaise, I don't want Harry to have you!"

"Well, you never treated me like it!"

"…"

Blaise moved away from Draco, towards the exit of the Common Room. "Goodnight, Draco."

(scene shift)

Once everyone had turned in for the night, Hermione had looked over to the window only to see Harry still there.

Hermione started again, slowly, "Harry, you can't possibly love Blaise."

Harry jumped; he'd thought everyone had gone, too. He turned to look at Hermione, at the expression that was on her face. She was worried, of course, but there was something else there, something that Harry remembered—

The same expression he'd seen on Hermione's face the night he met Blaise.

"Hermione," he said, "I don't want to go through this again. Please leave it alone. You're only hurting yourself."

"Go through what, Harry?" There were tears in Hermione's eyes now.

"Stop this, Hermione. Just go to bed."

"You can't tell me what to do, Harry. I just want to know. I have a right to know."

Harry sighed. "What do you want to know, Hermione?"

"Why do you love Blaise? Why? Ginny and I have been with you since the beginning. Why don't you love either of _us_, Harry? _I_ expected to be turned down, since I've always been your friend. To be honest, I was confused; but Ginny's been devastated since she found out about Blaise—"

"Which was your fault," Harry pointed out.

"Harry, I thought you were going through a period where you needed to get away from us in Gryffindor, but what's been happening recently is too much. You're getting too involved with Blaise, and I was willing to help you at first, but now—"

"Now, what?" Harry asked. "Hermione, no matter what you think, you're my friend, but I'm not going to let you stop me. I care about Blaise too much."

"Blaise doesn't love you, can't you see? And I'm sure you don't love him. His magic as an empath, it's probably affecting you—"

"Do you know how many hours ago I saw Blaise?" Harry said skeptically. "It would have worn off by now."

"Maybe the affects last longer—"

"Hermione!" Harry said loudly. "I'm sick and tired of you trying to find a plain, logical explanation for everything! Everything in life isn't in a book. What's happening right now isn't in any book, Hermione! I love Blaise, and there's no cure for that! I just—"

"Whassgoingon?" sounded a grumble from the stairs, and both Harry and Hermione turned to see Ron, rubbing his eyes like a child at the top of the stairs to the Boy's Dormitories.

Hermione gave Harry one last look, and then turned to leave.

"No," Harry said suddenly. "We're going to tell him everything. I'm tired of keeping all of these bloody secrets.

"What?" Ron asked, confused.

So Harry sat Ron down on one of the couches and told him the story from the beginning.

"You know that I'm…with Blaise, right?" Harry began slowly. Ron nodded with enough coherency for Harry to tell he was awake and listening, so Harry proceeded. He told Ron everything, from when he had ended his relationship with Hermione, and left the Common Room for some fresh air. That was the night that he had gotten to know Blaise.

He told Ron with near full detail how that night occurred (keeping graphic scenes to himself, of course), and continued the story up until the very moment that he had begun telling the story.

When he had finished, there was the resounding silence that usually accompanied intricate stories, and even Hermione looked shocked—he knew that she hadn't known the whole story, either.

Ron seemed to sit in contemplation (he was really awake, now) before he said, "I knew your absence had to do with Blaise. Hmph. See? I'm not completely dense."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Ron," Harry said apologetically.

"Me? Well…if you were scared about how you felt…I mean, I understand and all…

"Thanks, Ron."

"Actually, Harry, I think it's good that you didn't tell me until now. I probably would have killed Blaise."

Hermione looked at Ron like he was insane. "So you're just going to let him do this?'

Ron sighed. "Do I have a choice? Harry makes his own decision, 'Mione. If Harry thinks he loves Blaise, then let him go. I don't think most magic lasts this long, anyway…besides, as long as I don't ever see Blaise Zabini's face sitting across my dining room table, I don't care what Harry does with him." He paused. "You two argue too much."

Harry laughed. Hermione looked disappointed, as though she had expected some sort of backup from Ron.

"Hermione," Harry said, "I'll be fine, I promise."

Hermione nodded to acknowledge his statement, then turned and climbed the stairs to the Girls' Dormitory, opening and closing the door defiantly.

Ron looked down, and then sighed. "…Harry…you know this isn't about you making a mistake, right?"

"What?"

"See, Ginny was talking to me about this whole thing. She's rather upset that you gave her up for a guy, but she says that Hermione's taking it harder. It's not really about you making a mistake by choosing to date a man-whore—though I think that she might be right about that, mate—but she really loved you, Harry.

Harry looked surprised. "Yeah," he said, "I know." Then he stood. "I can't stay here right now. I'm going out."

Ron stood, too, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Need to shake it off?"

"…yeah."

(scene shift)

"I didn't know you were going to show up tonight," Blaise said as Harry entered the classroom.

"I didn't think you would be here, either," Harry said with a sigh.

"What happened?" Blaise asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Harry answered.

"I asked first, Harry."

"I asked second. Two is more than one."

Blaise gave him a strange expression, and then chuckled. "I suppose that was a muggle expression. A childish one, obviously."

"My cousin used to use it all the time," Harry answered, a smile crossing his face. He walked to the teacher's desk, the one that Blaise was sitting on top of, and sat next to him.

"Did you use your Invisibility Cloak to get here?"

"How did you know about that?"

"Draco used to talk about it often. Or yell about it, actually. I forgot about it, until I came here to think about some things. It popped up in my mind."

"Oh."

"Well, considering you don't seem eager to share, I shall start, I suppose…I'm confused, Harry, about a lot of things."

Almost as soon as Blaise had said it, Harry knew Blaise's situation mirrored his own.

"Malfoy realized how much you meant to him, didn't he?"

"Blaise raised a tentative eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

"The same thing happened with Hermione."

"I'm not surprised."

Harry looked down at his feet, took a breath, and said, "But I'm not confused at all, Blaise." He looked up, into Blaise's eyes. "I love you."

Blaise smiled. "I know."

Harry paused before saying, "Since when?"

"…a few days before the Thestral pen fiasco. It wasn't until it happened that I realized it, too."

"…"

"Harry, you are so utterly unique."

Harry had been told this on many occasions, in many different ways by many different people, but none of them filled him with the warmness that Blaise had. Harry felt like blushing.

"Blaise, what am I suppose to say to that?"

"Nothing," Blaise smiled.

Then, suddenly, the warmth in Harry faltered, and he frowned.

"Do you still love Malfoy?"

"…no not anymore. I told you that before, didn't I? I wanted to make myself believe I did, but…" Blaise blushed slightly. "I love you, Harry."

"…so, what are we going about that?"

"What?"

"The way I see it, we have two options," Harry said seriously. "Both Hermione and Malfoy hate us being together, so—"

"We could not speak to each other anymore," Blaise finished. "Or we could say screw them all and continue to see each other."

Both sat in silence for a while.

"I'm not letting you go," Harry said suddenly, decisively. "And I'm certainly not giving you up to Malfoy. He's a prat and he doesn't deserve you at all."

"…then I'm not giving you to Hermione. I don't even know if she's good enough in bed for you."

"Okay, then."

"Okay." Blaise agreed, and then he paused. "Is it just me, or do we sound incredibly stupid right now?"

"Definitely," Harry said.

"…I love you, Harry."

Harry laughed. "For being stupid? Sure, I love you too, then."

Blaise laughed as well, and that sparkle reappeared in his eyes. That warm feeling settled down in Harry again, and the Gryffindor couldn't help but pull Blaise to him for a kiss.

* * *

A/N: I didn't realize until the end of this story that it is kind of sad with Draco realizing his feelings for Blaise too late. Draco really needs help in this story, and I'm glad that Blaise didn't stay with him. Draco, if you didn't notice, sort of had a complex. He felt that he had to dominate Blaise because Blaise was wanted by so many people that he felt inadequate.

Hermione, on the other hand, was in denial, and she was using various people and things to cover this up, to hide it from herself and from Harry. I could have given her side of the story more depth, but I would have had to use Ginny as a character so that we could get into the real inner workings of her brain, and I liked the idea of an even four points of view.

You would not guess this ever, but it only took me a weekend to type this up. Greatness! I love this laptop!!!

I have another Harry Potter fic coming out of the woodwork soon. It's deep and more involving than this one. It's a Harry/Snape fic, though—although there isn't any real slash in it at all—but it should be good. It's extremely long, if that means anything. Anyway, I think I actually like this story now…


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